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BIOGRAPHIES 



OF 



rWO HUNDRED AND TIFTY 



DISTINGUISHED NATIONAL MEN. 



BY 

HORATIO BATEMAN. 

FIRST EDITION VOLUME I. 



NEW YORK: ^ 
JOHN T. GILES & CO., PUBLISHERS, 104 BROADWAY. 

1871. 



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Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by 

JOHN T. GILES & CO., 

in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 



TO THE 



SOVEREIGN PEOPLE 



OF THE 



UNITED STATES 



AMERICA, 



Q^hisYoliime. is ns^cct/ully dedicated. 



PREFACE. 



The unprecedented rapidity of the rise and progress of the United States 
Government has called into active service a multitude of men whose names are 
identified with its formation and history, and whose biographies will always excite 
public interest, owing to the eminent services which they have rendered to their 
country. 

It is evident, therefore, that there exists a great demand for such biographies 
in a condensed form. To supply this demand, we have, in this volume, given, on 
a single page each, a full and correct outline of the public services and general 
characteristics of 250 distinguished national men ; thus compressing into a very 
small space a large amount of valuable information. 

We have taken an unusual degree of pains to have these biographies full and 
correct in dates and facts, so that this book may be relied upon for biographical 
information and for reference. 

We have submitted them to the men now living, and they have pronounced 
them substantially correct in dates and facts. 

Upon the opposite page, we have given a few of the most prominent names 
who have individually indorsed, by letter, their biographies. 

We have in preparation a second volume of biographies of 250 other " Dis- 
tinguished National Men," which we shall issue as a serial volume ; and we shall 
continue to issue them in volumes of 250 each until we shall have put upon record 
the biographies of all our Distinguished National Men. 

In this volume, we liave also given a condensed history of tlie rise and pro- 
gress of the United States Government, unill it culminated in that matchless in- 
strument, the Constitution, and we became a free and independent nation with the 
People Sovereign ! 



The followiug are a few of the gentlemeu who have pronounced then- bio 
graphies correct in dates and in facts : 

President Ulysses S. Grant, 
Vice-President Schuyler Colfax, 
Chief-Justice Salmon P. Chase, 
Senator Charles Sumner, 
" Henry Wilson, 
" Simon Cameron, 
" Lyman Trumbull, 
*' William G. BRowNLOifv, 
** Samuel C. Pomeroy, 
" Carl Schurz, 
** Oliver P, Morton, 
" Hannibal Hamlin, 
Governor John T, Hoffman, 
General William T. Sherman, 
Major-General George G. Meade, 

" Joseph Hooker, 

" George B. McClellan, 

" John C. Fremont, 

" Frank P. Blair, 

" Peter G. T. Beauregard, 

" S. P. Heintzelman, 

" James Longstreet, 

" John B, Hood, 

" Oliver 0. Howard, 

Nathaniel P. Banks, 
Fernando Wood, 
Benjamin F. Wade, 
Horace Greeley, 
Reverdy Johnson, 
Peter Cooper, 
George H. Pendleton, 
Montgomery Blair, 
Charles F. Adams, 
Gideon Welles, 
Horatio Seymour, 
Joseph Holt, 
Cassius M. Clay, 
Edwin D. Morgan, 
John A. Dix, 
Millard Fillmore, 
Jefferson Davis, 
George Wilkes, 
Henry A. Wise, 
Wendell Phillips, 
James Gordon Bennett, 
William Lloyd Garrison, 
Roger A, Pryor, 
John Mosny, 
Frederick Douglass, 
Cornelius Vanderbilt, 
Robert Toombs, 
Marcus L. Ward, 
And others. 



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HISTORY 

OF THE 

EISE AND PEOaEESS 

OF THE 

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT, 



The discovery of America by Christopher Columbus, in 1492, may be 
considered the most important event that has ever resulted from individual 
genius and enterprise. It was the result of a theory matured by long re- 
flection and experience, opposed to the learning- and bigotry of the age, and 
brouofht to a successful demonstration, after j^ears of toil against opposing 
difficulties. His first landing was at San Salvador, on the 12th of Oc- 
tober, 1492 ; and it was not until August, 1498, that he discovered the 
main land, near the mouth of the Oronoco, in South America. Fired 
with ^the accounts of the disooveries made by Columbus, Araericus Vespu- 
cius became desirous of seeing the New World for himself, and accordingly, 
sailed from Cadiz, May 20, 1497, as a merchant, with a squadron of four 
ships, which he placed in command of the valiant Ojedo. 

During this voyage Americus pretends to have seen the Continent, 
he may have done so, but much doubt envelopes the matter. In 1507, after 
the death of Columbus, he published a history of all his voyages, and a chart 
of the American coast, in which he claimed to bo the true discoverer of the 
country. 

This work was read all over Europe with great delight, and the New 
World was named *' America" in his honor as the discoverer, when, of right, 
it should have been " Columbia," in honor of " Columbus," whom all the 
world now concede to be the true discoverer. 

Shortly after the return of Columbus from his first voyage, John Cabot, 
a Venetian by birth, but then residing in Englanrl, sailed from the port of 
Bristol, with his son Sebastian, in the spring of 1497, under a commission of 
discovery from Henry VII, King of England. He discovered tlie coast of 
Labrador, July o, 14U7, sailed north and south along the coast of the main- 
land ; and, being the first to discover that part of the Continent now called 
North America, claimed for the English King the territory from the Gulf 
of Mexico to an indefinite extent north, without however attempting either 
settlement or conquest. Erom this discovery by Cabot, originated the title 
by which England claimed North America. 



TL 

That title depended upon the first discovery of that portion of the Conti- 
nent, and was called the " Ris^^ht of Discovery." 

It was a principle adapted in the practice of the nations of Europe, that 
the first discovery of unknown countries, <jave to the government %vhose sub- 
jects had made the discovery, a title to the possession of such new found 
land. Under this title, the orig-inal inhabitants were permitted to remain 
in the territory, but tliey were restrained from soUi'ng or granting its soil, 
except to the sovereign by whose subjects it had been discovered, and who 
claimed iov himself the sole right to dispose of it; consequently, no other 
person could aiquire a title from the natives, either by purchase or conquest. 

Although the titles derived from discovery may not originally have been 
just, their validity, after a lapse of centuries, cannot now bo overthrown. 
By successive transfers, they liave become vested in the several States, and 
in the UuiiediStates; and they have been recognized and acceded to by the 
Supreme Court of the United States. 

We still hold this country under the title by which it was originally ac- 
quired, and we claim that that title has, by treaties or by grants, decended 
to us. 

Notwithstanding North America was inhabited at the time, it was colo- 
nized, the colonists disregarded the occupancy and claims of the Indian 
tribes, and considered themselves as settling an unoccupied country. Hence, 
therefore, the colonists must be regarded as bringing wdth them to the New 
AVorld the laws of England, so far as they were applicable to their situa- 
tion; and it was so declared by the Continental Congress, in the Declara- 
tion of llights. 

For a century or more after its discovery, nothing was done toward a 
permanent settlement of the country by the English. During the seven- 
teenth century however, the thirteen original states or colonies were settled. 
These thirteen colonies have, with reference to their form of government, 
been divided into three classes, as follows: 

1. Provincial or Koyal Govei'nments. 

2. Proprietary Governments. 

3. Charter Governments. 

Under the Provincial Governments, a Governor was appointed by the 
King as his deputy, to rule according to his instructions. The King also 
appoint d a counsel to assist the Governor and aid in making the laws. 
The Governor established courts and raised military forces. He had power 
to call together legislative assemblies of freeholders and others, in which the 
counsel formed an Upper House ; he himself exercising a negative upon 
their proceedings, as well as the right to adjourn them for a time, or to 
dissolve them. These assemblies made local laws which had to be submit- 



ted to the King for his approval or disapproval. New Hampshire, New 
lork ^ew Jersey, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, 
were Provincial Colonies. 




c.sed all those acts of authority which, in the Provincial Governments, were 
exercised by the king, 

_ At the time of the " Revolution," there were but two colonies of this des- 

'I'^ISe'ru^n - l>" ' ''"^"' ^"''^ Baltimore, Pennsylvania and Delaware, 
under \V illiam Penn. ' 

chJr'^J)t ^^^.''^^'V^''''^."""!?''^'',^^^ P"^^"' """"^ ^'^-^^^^ ^^^^ nested by a 
charter fiom the King in the colonists generally, and were placed upon a 



Ill 

more free and democratic foundation. In Connecticut and Ehode Island, 
tlio Governor, Counsel, and Assembly were chosen every year by the free- 
men of the colony. Eut by the charter granted by William and Mary, in 
1091, to the colony of Massachusetts, the Governor was appointed by the 
King-, the Counsel chosen annually by the General Assembly, and the 
House of Kepresentatives chosen by the people ; though in other respects 
the charter was quite liberal in its provisions. At the commencement of 
the Revolution, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, were the 
only Charter Governments existing. 

Notwithstanding these diversities in the form of their g-overnments, 
the situation and circumstances of the colonists were similar in several very 
important particulars. They were entitled to the rights and liberties of 
English subjects, and to the advantages of the laws of England. They 
were mostly a sober, industrious, and persevering people. They established 
Provincial Legislatures to regulate their local affairs. They did not hold 
their lands by any burdensome feudal tenures. The Governments were 
administered upon popular principles, and generally marked by a liberal 
policy. Many of the settlers in the colonies emigrated from England, at a 
time of great religious and political excitement, and were filled with, the 
" Spirit of Liberty," of free inquiry, and of opposition to the prerogatives 
of the crown, and to an established church, which such excitement had 
produced. Schools and Colleges were founded ; religion, education, and 
printing encouraged. The great distance of the colonies from the mother 
country, so weakened the power over them, that a love of freedom gradually 
grew up almost imperceptibly by the English Government. 

In Pennsylvania (soon after its settlement), in Maryland, and in New 
England (except Rhode Island), the English law of primogeniture (that is 
the right of the eldest son and his descendants to succeed to the inheritance 
of the ancestor) was abolished, and the estates of the decedant were divided 
among all his descendants ; which tended to equalize property, increase the 
number of land holders and encourage habits of industry. The Colonies 
nevertheless had no political connection with each other : they had no right 
to form treaties or alliances among themselves, or enter into any connection 
with foreign powers. The law of nations did not recognise them as sov- 
ereign states, but only as dependencies of the crown of England. They 
could not make treaties, declare Avar, or receive ambassadors. Each colonist, 
howevei", had the full rights of a British subject in every other colony. 

Notwithstanding the absence of any recognized right on the part of the 
colonies to form alliances among themselves, yet, in consequence of the sim- 
ilarity of their laws, religion, institutions, interests, situation and wants 
generally, they were frequently led to unite together for the purpose of ad- 
vancing their common welfare, and for defence against the hostilities of the 
Indian tribes. The eastern colonies, so early as the year 1G43, entered into 
a compact under the style of the " United Colonies of ISew England " for 
the purpose of protection against the Indians and Dutch. This transaction 
of the colonies was an assumption of sovereignty, and doubtless contributed 
to the formation of that public sentiment, which prepared the way for Amer- 
ican Independence. 

Even at this early period these Colonies assumed the character of inde- 
pendent states ; the attention of the mother country being drawn from them, 
and absorbed by the civil war with which it was then so fearfully agitated. 
Their articles of confederation were marked by that jealousy for state 
sovereignfi/ which characterized all our subsequent Confederacies, but which, 
■wo have no reason to regret, was not included in our present Constitution, 
which transferred the Sovereignty to the " National Government ". 



IV 

The New England Confederacy existed until 1686, when the charters o 
the colonies \vjre° vac itod by cuiUiUission ivoin J-iines II. After the dissoiu- 
tioii ottais le.ii,ni>i, iieiny a ceiKury elapsed befoie any general association, 
of ihe colonies was loaned. Butstiil ttiese, as weil as otlier colonie.s, con- 
tinued to give MCoasiv)ii a evidences of tae great m^cessity they felt f.r, and 
t le jigh imp Ttuice w.th which they regarded a Union. Now and tnen a 
Congress ofG jveinors an 1 (Joinraissionecs, was held to adopt more effectual 
me.isiires forlUfir nuuiuil protectionagamsttheirsavage enemies One of this 
character was held at A.bany,in the year 17^:2; but another, of hguer impor- 
tance, Wa8 coMven d there in 17J4, consi.^ting of delegates from seven 
colonies, and called at the instance of the English Administr .lion to c-nsult 
us to the best means of defending " America'' in the evi-nt of a war witli 
France. 

Tills C mgress published some important doctrines which, operating with 
a hippy eff-ct on the m nds of ihe colonists, served to give the.u a AalionaL 
direction, and guid.-d tnem on the road to our present high station. 

The C>»nveM ion unanim)usiy resolved, " that a union of the colonies is 
necessary fur thfir preservation, and I'arliament must be applied to to 
establish it.-' The celebrated '' Plan," drawn up by Dr Franklin (which is 
of the greatest interest to the American student) developed a National spirit 
throughout. Power was given to the ••General Government" to laiseand 
pay soldiers, build forts, and equip vessels of force, etc. The colonies were 
to be represented in proportion to population. This was the first occasion upon 
which this idea had Oeen suggested, the New England colonies in their con- 
federacy h ivi ig been pq'i'dlij rep esented as colonies, not in p oportion to 
population. In this respect the "Albany Plan" w .s in advance of the 
" Articles of Confederation" in its National spirit, and served as the proto- 
type of the •' Constitution" itself. The sectional jealou-y and colonial pride 
of the colonies continued so strong that the " Albany Plan" was reject.-d by 
every one of the Provincial Assemblies, and we were destined to remain 
sometime longer separate, and in a considerable degree alien commonwealths, 
jealous of each other's prosperity, and divided by policy, institutions, pre- 
jud ce and ra mners. 

Wien. however, Ensjland began to oppress the colonies, they were led 
ag iin to form a union for their common protection. On the passage of the 
'•.Stamp Act" in 1765, upon the rec >mmendation of Massachusetts, the 
'birst G^/omaZ Congress" assembled at New York, October 7, of that year, at 
winch nine clonies were represented by twenty-eigHt de egates, and they 
published a bill of rights, in which they boldly declared that, "the sole 
power ot taxation resided in the colonies " The bold stand taken by the 
p-ople of B >ston a-aiu^t British tax ition in 1768. called forth resolutions of 
approvil and support from almost every Colonial Legislature, and the events 
Ru:ceeding serv.-d to heighten the National feeling in proportion, as the 
hatred to the m ther country wa^ increased. 

. t v"^ (^'ntinental Congress was simultaneously proposed by meetincrs held 
;\ o mI 7« '"!'^ Ph.ladelnhi t and by the Legislature of Connecticut. On 
c dmi of th.^'n'^? ,"'» ^ r' ^' *'^^ colonies sti I urged on bj the monstrous 
Ge Z TI *^, ^; ,"•' I'^t'- nment and the despotic usurpations of power by 
dslf^J;\n Zln! '? ^^"'l'"pl«'<^^*tes to Philadelphia, " wiih anlLrity and 
^Jnn ''^ '^^'''"" ^"J'^''''' f"'' '^'« common icelfare.^^ Eleven of the 

t^^Zn^:VZlnTV'' t'-'l «-^-^^. -nd by men illustrJous for 
be enbOm. L 'I^Ih/'^;;^ ^"' whose memories are yet, and ever will 
fem " vo?-' th7i| ! V ' Prat.tu le of their c .untrvmen. They styled 
li.em u OS he delegates appointed by the g..o,l ppj.jyJe of the-e colonics " 



Rights," which is important, a<? fully settin.s: forth the natural and constitu- 
tional rights to which the colonists believed them■^elves entitled, 

E\^ents now crowded upon each oLhei'. iJ^fore the Congress met again, 
hostilities had Curamenced in Massachusetts, and at Lexington the blood o| 
the first martyrs to tbe cause had been shed to cement the National Unity." 
Henceforth ^Ae Unioii was coniinued by successive conventions of Congress. 
On the 10th of May, 1775, a Congress was again as-embled at Philadelphm, 
&n(\. rested with full powers io concert, ajree upon, direct, order and prosecide 
sucli measures, as they should must approve, to obtain redress of grievances. 
Having published a declaration of the causes which impelled them to resolute 
resistance, gradually assuming to themselves tue powers of the States ihey, 
on the 4lh day of July, 177G, gave to the world that g orious instrument, 
which marked the dawning of a brighter era, and the birthday of a happy 
Nation which was eventuaUy to be truly free and independent 

The National sentiment had now reached its height. Flushed wi;«h 
thoughts of independence, and of boundless prosperity, no ideas of jealousy 
or of State sovereignty entered the minds of toe people, but as ■' one peojde'^ 
they dissolved the political bands which connected them with the mother 
country; and " in the name, and by the authority of the good people of these 
colonies," declared themselves "Free and Independent," which declaration 
was finally engrossed and signed by order of Congress, 

Throughout the whole of this immortal instrument the ideas of Equality 
Liberty, and Union are closely blended. It was never referred to the separa;e 
States for ratification, nor did any State decliie i/s Independence. The Inde- 
pendence declared was for the " United States," not " Confederate States," 
and was then for the first time styled " United fetates ot x\merica." 

On the 11th of June, 177G, the same day on which a committee was ap- 
pointed by Congress for preparing a Declaration of Independence, it resolved 
to appoint another committee, to prepare and digest ihe form of alliance to 
be entered into between the colonies. This committee, on the 12th (.f July 
following, reported a plan of a confederacy consisting of twenty artic'es, but 
the lofty National sentiment which prevailed in the Declaraiion of Independ- 
ence did not exhibit itself so fully in the " Articles." So many were the 
rival interests developed thai; the local jealousie- and_5ed(onai differences 
Avhich had been forgotten during the fervour of the patriotic ouibuist, at the 
commencement, left their irapre.-s on the '• Articles." and prevented their 
adoption by Congress until November 15, 1777. Hence we find the doctrine 
of •' State Sovereignty" plainly set forth in that instrument, in evident coiiflct 
with the National spirit, which also makes itself apparent. *'T^ ese articles 
of confederation" were ratified in July, 1778, by the delegates from all the 
States but three, and were subsequently signed on the part of New Jersey, 
Nov'r 25, 1778; Delaware. Feb'y 22, 1779 ; and Maryland, March 1, 1781. 

The ratific ition of the Articles was, therefore, completed March 1, 17S1, 
and on the 2d of March, 1781, Congress first assembled under the "Con- 
federation." 

These Articles formed the thirteen States, by the style of " The United 
States of America.-' into a firm league of friendship with each other for their 
defence, the security of their liberties, and their mutual and general welfare. 
Each State retained its own sov^-piqniy, and all powers not expre.-sly dele- 
gated to the United States in Conxress assembled. Delegates were to be 
chosen every year by each Sta e,n 't less than three, nor more than seven in 
number, to meet in Congress. E ich State was to support the expenses of its 
own delegates. In deciding questions, the votes were taken bv Spates, each 
State having a sing'e vote. A 1 the expenses of the war, and for the general 
welfare, were to be supplied by (he several States in proportion to the value 
ofthc Settled lands and improvcmoats thereon. • 



vr 

After the Declaration of Peace, and close of the Revolutionary War, it 
was soon round th.t the phin detailed in the •' Articles otConledeialiuu • was 
impiaciicable. It gave to Congress no means of t-nforcing its laws upon the 
States, and the S.ales disregarded the recoii,mendations of Congress with im- 
I)unitv. Coiigiet-b hud no power to levy taxes or collect rt venue lor the 
pill. lie service; nor could it regulate commeice either with (oreign nations 
or among theseveriil slates. FortT.gn nations refused tohold intercourto with 
a Governuient which was only such in name, and possessed no real power 
even to carry out its nuist ordinary decrees. The public debt incurred by 
t;ie war was veiy pieat, and the " Articles of Confederaiicin'' in no way pro- 
vided < ffectua! means for its payment. The administration of government 
under all such confederacies has fi'er been marked with weakne.^s. and de- 
generated into anarchy, or increased to a must galling and unbounded 
(lespoiisni. It became evident in a short time that distress and ruin would 
overspread the couiitiy unless some different and more vigorous form of 
government were adopted. 

Delegates were, tlierefore, appointed from the different States to meet in 
rhiladelpiiia on the J-lth day of May, 1787, for the purpose of devising some 
plan for a viore perftcl Union of the States. The first practical suggestion of 
a metiiod of investing the Government with the rcquisiie power, and at the 
same time not destroy the State organizations, was in the winter of 17S4-S5, 
when Noah Webster struck the key-note in proposing a new sysUm of Govern- 
ment, which should act, *• 710/ on the Slates, but directly on individuals, and 
vest in ' 0»ujress^ full poicer to cany its laws into effect." 

The Convention met May 25, 1787, and after much discussion these views 
were embodied in ihe present "Constitution,' which was finally adopted, 
as tlie r.'sidt of iheir labors on the 17ih of September, 1787, and, according 
to the recommendation of the Convention, Congress transmitted the plan of 
the Constitution to the several Legislatures of the States, in older to be sub- 
mitted to a convention of delegates cho-en in each State by the people 
thereof C<inventions assembled in the different States, and the vew sysinn 
was di-cussed with great learning and zeal, and with many conflicting 
opinions, but wms at last adopted, thongh not without much oppositi( n. 

On the 17th of September. 1788, Consfress having received the 
ratifications cf the Constitution from all the Conventions of all the States. 
except North Carolina and Khode Island, rei^olved that the first Wednes- 
day of January. 1781), should be the day for appointing electors in the 
several Slates, which may have ratified the Constitution before that day. 
AccordinL'ly, eleeiions were held in the several States for electors, and 
the e ectors. thus appointed, met and voted for President and Vice- 
J lesicrnt. when Geo- ge Washington was unanimously elected the first 
1 re-idont and Jnhn Adams, Vice-President. The States hnving also elected 
tlieir Senators and I^epresenfatives, the first "Constitutional Congress," 
c-mnns.-(l of Representatives from eleven States which had then ratified the 
^^ons-Mtution. asM-mbled on Wednesday, March 4, 1789. in New York, and 
on tii.t (1 .y the new '• Constitution"' went into legal operation as the supreme 
an(M.in(l:i...(.ntal \. wc f the land, thereby establishing a Katiov. 
f.f fl 'J^'^'^J'V'*^'^" eominencos with the declaration that AVk, THE PEOPLE 
in iir^ Y"^' States, in order to form a more perfect vn'.on, establish justice, 
irrn"- 1 '"ir*"^ *""^l"'^'ty' provide for the common defence, promote the 
K " '-J w elfare, and secure the blcs.<.imrs of libertv to ourselves, and our pos- 
of An.erir'^"^*^^'''' "^'^ E»'^'Al>Lisii this C0N6Tifx:Ti0N for thc United States 
It.H fu-st articlo vcRts nil Lcfihlathc power in a Covqress cf the United 
HoTtcr.. J^S'"'"^' "^ ^ ^y-^^rv., r.s the rrprrsontalive of the State ; and a 
nousn OF Rt- rf<KSF.NTATiVi:S, r.s tVo direct representatives of the PF.OPL i: 



YU 

The duty of tliis Congress being to mad all laics for the GENERAL WELFAHE 
of the whole United States. 

Its second article places the executive or administrative power in a "Pres- 
ident," whose duty it is, to " take care that the laws be faUhfuUy executed. " 
The administrative business of the Government is not all managed directly 
by the President himself, but, has by yariovis acts of Congress, been distrib- 
uted among several executive departments, called the Cabinet, who are the 
constitutional advisers of the President, and whose opinions he is authorised 
to require in writing upon any subject relating to the duties of their res- 
pective offices. 

The third article vests the judicial powe?' in one " Supreme Court," and 
such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and es- 
tablish, whose province it is to tnterp'.et and ap'ply the laws. 

Having given a condensed history of the rise and progress of the United 
States Government to the time of the adoption of the Constitution, I will 
endeavor to trace its history from that period to the present day. 

The State Governments, under the Confederation, alone supported tlie United 
States Governmeut, and, as has aheady been shown, made it dependent upon them 
for its existence ; but, on the adoption of the Constitution, a more perfect touioii 
was established, adding anoilur and more substantial support, emanating directly 
from the people thi'oui^h their " Representatives in Congress," which transferred 
the "Sovereignty " from tlie States to the United States, and cenieuted the States 
firmly into one nation, so as to prevent their ever effectually dissolving their re- 
lations with each other without the consent of a majority of the people, not only 
of each State, but of the tvhole United States. 

Although the " Declaration of Independence " declared ALL MEN TO BE 
CREATED EQUAL, and endowed with certain inalienable rights, among which 
w^ere life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and although the Consti- 
tution of the United States was adopted to secure the Blessings of Liberty to 
all, there yet remained slavery for a portion of the PEORLE of the country. 
Why was Slavery left in the Union after the declaration of independence 
and why was the constitution adopted with no clause expressly prohibiting 
it ? At that time a large portion of the white people had properti)^ in slaves, 
and many had a large interest in their importation. These considerations 
made it difficult to destroy the institution at once. It was expected, how- 
ever, that it would graducdly diminish, and after a short time entirely cease 
to exist. 

That such was the expectation of the men most prominent in drawing 
up those instruments, such as Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Richard II, 
Lee, Patrick Henry, John Randolph, John Jay, Alexander Hamilton. Ben- 
jamin Franklin, James Madison and others, is evident from their speeches 
and writings as well as from their studied failure to expressly recognize it 
in either ; also by the law which was passed by the Congress of the United 
States in session at the time the Constitution was adopted by the Conven- 
tion, ''forever prohibiting slavery in the North Western Territory" which 
was ceded to the United States by different States about that time. A fact 
to be borne in mind in this connection is, that a number of the States did 



VIII 

abolish Slavery within their limits a few years afterwards, and the intent 
was evident that it should be done in all u itil the Colton Gin made Slavery 
so very prolitable, that the love of yain overcame the moral feeling that had 
been cnj^endered till then, and some of the States continued, fostered, and 
encouraged it. 

The btates that abolished slavery, admitted Justice in its stead as an as- 
sociate with Liberty, and Education was their legitimate offspring, therefore 
the " Free States " represented Justice, Liberty, and Education, and the "Slave 
States" Liberty and Slavery combined. 

The incompatibility of Slavery with Liberty becoming more and more 
apparent, and the people of tlu se States that had abolished Slavery, per- 
ceivinj,' that it was bringing contempt upon the Declaration of Independence 
and tlu) principles of the Constitution, endeavored to persuade their brethren 
in the States that had not, to adhere to the original understanding, and 
to make some provision for its eventual abolition, if they could not be pre- 
vailed upon to give it up at once. They showed them its antagonism to 
the i^rinciples and interests of a Free and Independent Hepublic, that it was 
a foe to education and progress, that it Avas undermining the morals and 
degr<idiiigthe labor of the country, that it pandered to the worst passions, 
and tended to reduce the country to barbarism. 

These simple truths laid before them in candor, for their own good, as 
well as for the good of the country, did not have the desired effect of awak- 
ening them to a sense of Justice. But, feeling the debasing infiu(?nce of sla- 
very, and finding it could not be sustained by free discussion, also i)erceiving 
tlie slender thread which held it (on sufferance) in the United States under 
the Constitution, raised the cry of persecution, and charged the free States 
witlx interfering with their domestic affairs. Fearing that the progress of 
liberal views among the people of the free States would soon have such in- 
fluence in the 'councils of the nation as to curtail the privileges of slavery, 
they attempted to revive the old jealousies that had formerly existed be- 
tween the States, and establish the doctrine of States Rights Supremacy ; 
contending that the Constitution did not transfer the Sovereignty from the 
States to the United States ; but that they were still, as under the Confed- 
eracy, Sovereign and Independent States, joined together, as then, by a com- 
pact or league, and that the States could nullify any law passed by Congress, 
and had the right to withdraw from the Union at pleasure. 

Not deeming it expedient to appear to sustain that doctrine in order to 
uphold and protect slavery, they first directed their attention to the Tariff 
law passed by Congress, when the State of South Carolina denied the r'ght 
of the United States Government to collect the Tariff Duty in that State, 
and threatened to resist its enforcement, and to withdraw from the Union. 
But^this threat was promptly met by a proclamation from President " Jack- 
son," who declared that the " laws must be executed," and that any oppo- 
sition to their execution would be met by force, if necessary. South Caro- 
lina receded from her hostile position, although she still boldly advanced 
licr favorite doctrine of the Supremacy of States Rights, and, in the person 
of her distinguished Senator " John C. Calhoun ", asserted it even in the 
lialls of Congress. Calhoun became its foremost Champion, and endeavored 
witli all the lowers of his analytical mind to convince the country that the 
doctrine was correct. But " Daniel Webster," the Champion of National 
^ uprcniacv, n et h:s arguments step by step, and so successfully refuted 
them, and so fir uly established the Sovereignty of the " United States 
Government ' that few afterwards openly attempted to dispute it. Finding 
tJicy could not establish States Rights Supremacy openlv, and throuirh that 



IX 

protect the institution of slavery from the encroachments of education and 
progressive ideas, they proceeded by intrigue and comproinise to induce the 
National G-overnmcut to acknowledge its obligation to protect it. First by 
admitting new States with slavery into the Union, thereby strengthening 
the slave power in the Nation, next by the {'assagc of the " Fugitive Slave 
Law," which they claimed was only to carry into effect a provision of the 
Constitution, but which was so drawn as to make every man a Fugitive 
Slave hunter. 

Then by endeavoi'ing to force the United States to protect slavery in the 
Territories under the name of " Squatter Sovereignty " and finally to protect 
it in the free States, when taken there by its master, thus seeking to force 
the Free States to become Slave States. 

The freedom loviag people of the Country became aroused to a sense of 
their danger, opposed tlte two last propositions at the ballot box, and sig- 
nally defeated them by the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the 
United States. Their secret organizations ol " States Rights '' under the 
name of " Knights of the Golden Circle " now made their object manifest 
in the threatened resistance to the will of the people, by secession. 

Most of the offices of the National Government were in the hands of the 
Conspirators, a conniving or imbecile President, (James Buchanan,) was in 
the Chair at Washington, the fleet despatched to distant Avaters, the army 
scattered along the western borders, the arsenals at the North stripped, and 
the arms sent South, the Treasury depleted, and the National Credit pur- 
posely destroyed by the treacherous Secretary of the Treasury. 

All things being thus prepared, the Conspirators appealed to w^hat they 
termed the reserved rights of the States, and sought to withdraw from the 
Union. Before the inauguration of Abraham Lincoln as President of the 
United States, seven of the States had seceded, and formed themselves into 
a " Southern Confederacy" the foundations of which were Slavery alone. Four 
other Suites afterward joined the Confederacy, raaliing eleven in all which se- 
ceded from the Union. These were, Soiuh-Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, 
Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North-Carolina. 

The position of these States after seceding has been a question of consid- 
erable interest to the country. Under the Old Articles of Confederation, 
any State had the right to withdraw fron the Union, or League at any time, 
as each State was Sovereign and Independent of each other, but, on the 
adoption of the Constitution, that Sovereignty was transferred to the Na- 
tional Government, thus giving the citizens of every State a joint interest 
in every other State. Therefore, no State, nor the people of any State, had 
the right to secede or withdraw fx'om the Union, without the consent of a 
rrutjordy of the lohole peonle of the United States. 

These eleven States did, however, as States, withdraw their practical re- 
lations with the rest of the Union. They also attempted by force of arms to com- 
pel the National (xovernment to allow them to take with them the people of those 
States, which would complete their separation, and establish their independence. 

But the National Government, now under the administration of Abra- 
ham Lincoln, prevented the accomplishment of their object, by calling on 
the Loyal People of the Nation to aid in the restoration of the Union; who 
immediately responded to the call iu sufficient numbers to arrest their 
progress- 



X 

All arc familliar with the different phases of the Rebellion, of the nu- 
mcrous ob.stacie.s to the proirres.s of Restoration, of the various prejudices 
to overcome, and the complete change in the morale of the war before it 
couM he successful. 

AVhcn tlij war commenced, it was conducted on the part of the National 
Government for the restoration of the Union only. 

Shivery, the cause of the Rebellion, and the (/real obstacle to its suppres- 
sion was left as before, and the shives who fled to the Union Armies, were 
returned to their masters. The National Government studiously avoided 
all interference with the "peculiar institution" in order to convince the 
Southern reoi)le that they were not fighting against slavery, but to restore 
the Union to its former position, and, to give them the opportunity and all 
tie inducements possible to give up the struggle, and return to their duty. 
The necessity of freeing the slaves of Rebels, in order to take from them 
a great part of their strength, and thereby destroy the cause of the rebel- 
lion, was foreseen by Gen. Fremont, Avhcn in command of the Department 
of the Missouri, who issued a proclamation, liberating the slaves of Rebels 
witliiii his command. Deeming it premature, President Lincoln counter- 
manded the proclamation, giving them more time for consideration^ But 
uU the inducements held out to them Avere rejected, and the rebels continued 
the struggle, determined to co?n/^e/ the National Government to recognize 
their inclcpcndence, and relinquish its control over any property in tire Se- 
ceding States. After nearly two years of bloody strife, the Administration 
saw that the slave was an aid to the Rebellion, (though an unwilling one,^ 
una that the institution of slavery was the great obstacle to the success of 
tlie Lnion Arms. Then, and then only, and as a military necessity, did 
1 resident Lincoln issue his celebrated "Emancipation Proclamation " 

A large portion of the slaves finding they would be protected, fled to the 
Lnion Armies, and afterwards, being allowed to enlist as Soldiers, aided us 
to overcome and conquer Rebellion. 

^ihe rebellion, aliei- histin,^^ four years, was Puddcnly brought to a close 
by the surrender of Lee to Grant, April 9. 18C5; the supremacy of the 
.^ulional Government was vindicated, and the "Constitution" stood firm 
under the sliock. 

The collapse of the rebellion, and the radical change which it had made 

n e US ,u ?; 1 '/•' °^ K^ '''^''^"° ^^'''^'^'^ ^^''^ ^^^^'"^ ^^5'J^out civil govern- 
rX?;>; r '7^- '"^^^^»bp"^ ^iPon the " x\ational Congress" to make some 
ru.cs or n-g,ilatu.ns lor iheir " Keconstrnction." 

Evccut ve' IwTi'n.if ,^;V"%to?:ether, Abraham Lincoln, who, as its Chief 
day of \n il ts *^ n. ' *^^'*'"^ ^^^'""-^ '^' groat struggle, w^s on the Hth 
Brr^k^.id'^i; hlfV' /^'^ V';"'""''"'"^ ^^" ^^« surrendcn- of Fort Sumpter), 
tv ic 1 ad t ' in Jrl i? '".^ ^ ^^^P''-«'l V^l^'^t "Slave Spirit" 

Ti n -fi IXl a,'''^^''v'" the uncontrolled indulgence of their pas- 
o l^-e' ConsUtuion h "'""'p '«*:- '"'^^i^i^'nt of the United Slates, by viJtue 
n e m-es fo resto in^^^^^^^^^ 'Tt'^' ^"'^ '^''""^'^ ^''^ *^^k of itfitiating 

Con>ttntiou vess « T^ /•'^"^' "^^^^"^ *'^ -Congress," in whom the 
'*pM.cy"dsr,'ar^^^^^^^^^ ^'^>«^ Mr. Johnson's 

before U.cy condsvialvJ^^^^^ ^^ '"^'^e 

deliver Ihc^eins o .V : :,; ,,u i To 1^^ T'7^ r n '^' ^"'""' ^^^^ ^^"''^^^ '^ 
Ouv.rnn.ent hud been be ' j \ i'; \^, .'";' ^/^ ^''« ^'^-y "^^n by whcni that 
of the r. bcls. ^ ' '^ ^^'^ -'' ^^^ ^'''J^' <^'^'-^ns beneath the llet 



XI 

His conduct re-aroused the slave spirit, rendering the work of reconstruc- 
tion more difficult than before. 

Congress, when they met in December, 1865, justly considering that the 
power to initiate proceedings for the restoration of civil governments in the 
rebellious States was vested in tbe Legislative and not in the Executive Di^pa^vt- 
ment of ihe Government, and that the results of the J resident's policy en- 
dangered the rights of tbe peop/e and tbe authority of the i\a^'on, entered 
upon a series of legislative me.sures, intended to secure the rights and privil- 
ege.s of the freedmen, protect those who bad remain, d faith'ul to tbe Govern- 
ment, preserve oider, and put the late Rebel States under the control of men 
loyal to the country, to Liberty and Justice. 

The amendment to the Constitution, securing the emancipation of the 
slave thr(Uighout the National Jurisdiction, was < fficially announced as 
having been ratified by a sufficient number of States on the 18th of De- 
cember, 1865. 

Secession and this amendment to the Constitution renderednuU and void 
the "Old State Constitutions" which recognized slavery. 

On the 9th of April, 1£66, the " Civil Eights" bill became a law by 
being passed over the President's veto, giving the colored man, through its pro- 
visions, the same right to acquire and hold property as the white man, and 
the "Freedmen's Bureau, secured and protected him in those rights. 

On the 12th of June, 1866, the Fourteenth Amendment to the Consti- 
tution was passed by Congress, which makes colored as well as white men 
" Citizens" of the United States, and of the State wherein they reside, and 
forbids any State to make or enforce any law wh ch shall abridge the 
privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States, or deny them the 
equal protection of the law. The amendment also forbids the United 
States, or any State t o assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of 
insurrection or rebellion against the United States.or any claim for the loss 
or emancipation of any slave, and declares all such debts, obligations and 
claims to be illegal and void. 

The people of the Seceding States, who had engaged in insurrection or 
rebellion, forfeited their political rights by their treason ; and the State 
Constitutions Laving become null and void by Secession and the Amendment 
to the United States Constitution emancipating the slaves, they were left 
without any lawful civil governments. The rebel spirit having also been 
revived, these States were, by the Eeconstruction Acts of Congress, placed 
under the military authority of the United States, until they should make 
new Constitufiovs in accoidance with the rules and regulations made by 
Congress. These rules and regulations gave to the freedmen the right of 
sxiffrcKje, which made him a check i-;pon, and insured the loyalty of the 
rebels, most of whom were restored to their former political privileges. 

Having restored the rebels to their civil and jDolitical privileges, and 
made citizens of the colored men, and secured to them the right of suffrage, 
together, thej^ were authorized to make "New Couhtitution ," republican in 
form, organize State Governments, and elect their rci^resentatives to Con- 
gress. Having done this, they are " Ee. constructed, " and again members 
of the ." National Union." 

Tlie Fifteenth Amendment having been added to the Constitution of the United 
States^ in 1869, giving the Suffrage to all citizens without regard to race or 



XII 

color. Reconstruction having taken place, and firmly established on the 
basis of the Declaration of Independence, and the seceding States again re- 
prt-soutedin the Councilsof the Nation— slavery havingbeen abolished— the 
Kriat obstacle to progress and cause of contention will have been removed, 
tlio prtjiulice of color and jealousy of sections will pass away, and the 
People of all parts of the country that have been divided on the question 
c f t(]ua ity and Sovereignty will congratulate each other on the happy re- 
sults of J>ecoiistraetion, and become strongly United as One Country 
and One People in. interest and feeling. FREE in fad as well as in ilieory, 
and work to:^ether niqve earnestly for the prosperity of the Whole Country, 
which will progress with rapid strides in wealth, morals and happiness, 
cxlubiting to the world the stabiiity and tenacity of a Government whose 
"Sovereignty is in the People." 



1'. GEOEGE WASHINGTON. 

George ■Washington, the 1st President of the United States, was "born 
in Virginia, in the year 17o2. 

The common schools of that State afforded the only opportunity for his 
education. The study of mathematics was his principal delight. At the 
ago of nineteen he received an appointment in the army with the title of 
Major, Avas advanced to Colonel in 1754, and took charge of a campaign 
against the Frencli at Fort Du Quesne, now Pittsburg, Pa. Erected Fort 
Necessity near that place, where he was attacked by four times his number 
of French and Indians, and, after ten hours severe fighting, was forced to 
surrender, but with the honorable terms of being allowed to return to 
Virginia unmolested with his command. We next find him covering the 
retreat of Braddock, where, by his cool bravery, he saved the army from 
destruction. 

He was elected a member of the House of Burgesses, of Virginia, in 
1759, and a delegate to the first Continental Congress in 1774. In that day 
of great peril, when Congress had done what it could to raise " That 
glorious old Continental Army" all eyes were turned to Washington as its 
leader, and ho was unanimously appointed its Commander-in-Chief; which 
he (with modesty and dignity) accepted, but declined all compensation for 
his services, asking only for the remuneration of his expenses. 

During the seven years of the war of the Revolution, his j)rudence and 
firmness, and his bravery and wisdom, were the admiration of all calm and 
wise men. He brou^iht order out of discord, and triumph out of difficulty. 
In 1787, he was called to preside over the Convention which met in Phila- 
delphia for the purpose of forming a Constitution, the result of which was 
that admirable instrument which has ever since been the guide of the 
nation ; and, after its adoption by the States in 1789, he Avas unanimously 
chosen 1st President of the United States for four years, and in 1793 was 
called by the same unanimous voice of his country to serve a second term; 
on the expiration of which he resigned, and, delivering his celebrated fare- 
well address, retired to the peaceful shades of Mount Vernon, to enjoy the 
quiet of domestic life. He did not, however, live long to realize his ardent 
desire, for, after a short illness of only a few hours, he died, December 14, 
1799, at the age of sixty-eight, and was buried at Mount Vernon, amid the 
grateful tears of his countrymen. 

Washington was above the common size, with a robust and vigorous 
constitution, fine person, easy, erect, and noble deportment, exhibiting a 
natural dignity unmingled with haughtiness. 

liis manners were reserved, his temper highly sensitive, but always 
controlled by his judgment and prudence. Plis mind was strong ; and, 
though slow in its operation, was sure in its conclusions. His patriotism 
was as incorruptible as it was ardent, and a lofty recitude marked every 
small, as well as every great action of his life. 

He devoted a long life to the welfare of his country, and while the love 
of liberty is cherished, every true American will delight to accord to him 
the proud title of " TJie Father of his Country." 



2. JOHN ADAMS. 

Joii^^ Adams, the 2lI President of the United States, was born in Quincy, 
M:iss;icliusetts, October 19, ITDo. He graduated at Harvard College in 
17oo, and was admitted to the bar in 1758. About this time he wrote his 
celebrated "Essay on the Common and Federal Law." In 1706, he removed 
to Boston, was chosen Councellor in 177^5, and elected to the first Continen- 
tal Congress in 1774, of which he was one of the most efficient members, 
and was associated with Jefferson, Franklin, Sherman, and Livingrston, as 
a committee to draft the Declaration of Independence, and was the colossus 
of suj^port to that immortal instrument in that aug-ust body. The same 
year, he was placed on a committee to wait on Lord Howe in reference to 
the condition of the country, who, receiving them with imposing military 
display, told them that he could not receive them as a committee of Con- 
gress, but only as private citizens. Adams replied : " You may view us in 
whatever light you please, sir, except that of British subjects." 

While in Congress he served as a member of ninety-five different com- 
mittees, and was chairman of twenty-five. 

In 1778, lie was appointed Commissioner to France, returned the next 
year, and was chosen member of the Convention called to frame the Consti- 
tution of Massachusetts, and drew up the report of the committee, which 
was adopted. 

The same year he was appointed IMinister to negotiate peace with G-reat 
Britain, and the following year to Holland, from which he was summoned 
to Paris to consult on the general peace with the Commissioners of Austria, 
Russia, and France, which, after many difficulties was affected in 1783. 

In 17So, he was appointed Minister Plenipotentiary to the Court of St. 
James, Avhere he secured to his country many important advantages. 

At his own request he was permitted to resign his charge in 1788, and 
in the same year was elected Vice-President of the United States ; which 
office he licld during Washington's administration, and on his retirement 
was chosen President, which position lie held for four years. In 1820, at the 
great ago of eighty-five, he was chosen a member of the Convention to 
revise the Constitution of his native State, "The instrument which was the 
work of his own mind and pen." 

Mr. Adams was among the few of that brave band, who cast their lives, 
their fortunes, and their sacred honors, on the die of the Revolution, who 
was permitted to live to witness the permanent establishment of the insti- 
tutions they liad bequeathed to their children and posterity. He lived to 
SCO his Kon suixced to the honors, which a grateful country had bestowed 
oalumselt, until, "as if Heaven appointed," on the 4th of Julv, 1826, the 
mtic-h anniversary of his country's independence, with the glorious words 
trembling on Ins dying lips, "Independence forever," hand in hand with 
nis o!. I compatriot. Thomao Jefferson, ho passed away amid the firin"- of 
guns, the ringing of bells, and the rejoicings of an emancipated people. '^ 



3. THOMAS JEFFEESON. 

Thomas Jefferson, the 3d President of the United States, was born 
at Shadwell, Virginia, on the 2d day of April, 1743. At the age of seven- 
teen he entered William and Mary College, where his early education was 
completed, and his mind and body were equally nourished and developed 

He was one of the best riders in the State, an accomplished performer 
on the violin, a proficient in the science of mathematics, and a diligent 
student of Greek, Latin, French, and Spanish. He is said to have been one 
of the best educated men in America. 

Upon the completion of his college course he studied law for five years 
with an unusual assiduity, was admitted to practice in 17C7, and soon 
acquired an extensive business. 

He strongly sympathized with the spirit of freedom in the Colonies, and 
in 1709, signed a resolution not to import any article from the mother 
country. After taking a leading part in organizing resistance in Vii'ginia 
to British aggressions, he was elected to the Colonial Congress in 1775, and 
became one of the most prominent members. 

In the following year he was appointed Chairman of that immortal 
Committee, chosen to draw up the Declaration of Independence. 

This instrument was the work of his pen, and was adopted on the 4th 
of July, 177G. 

In 1779, he was elected Governor of Virginia, and in 1783, a member of 
Congress. While a member of this body, Washington resigned his com- 
mand of the army, and Jefferson was the author of the elegant address to 
the " Father of his Country," voted on that occasion. 

In 1784, he went as Minister to France (to succeed Franklin, who had 
won unbounded popularity), and satisfactorily accomplished the arduous 
task of filling his place. In 1789, he returned to the United States, and 
Washington called him into his council by appointing him Secretary of 
State. 

He immediately set himself to lay down maxims and rules of foreign 
intercourse, which have governed all our subsequent administrations. 

In 1795, he was called to the Chair of the Philosophical Society, and in 
March, 1801, was inaugurated President of the United States, and was re- 
elected in 1805. 

Retiring from the Presidency in 1809, in the sixty-sixth year of his age, 
Mr. Jefferson passed the rest of his days upon his plantation at Monticello, 
beloved and venerated by his countrymen. 

His last care was to perfect the organization of the University of Vir- 
ginia, of which he was the founder. 

At the age of eighty-three he retained his intellectual powers little 
diminished, and died of old age rather than disease, on the ever-glorious 
anniversary of that Declaration of Independence of which he was the 
author, nearly at the same hour with John Adams, his associate, July 4th, 
1826, just fifty years after its adoption. 



4. JAMES MADISON. 

J\MES !Madison, the 4tli rrcsidcnt of the United States, was bom in 
OranVe County, Virginia, March 16, 1751. In his youth he was favored 
with the instruction of a Scotchman by the name of Robertson, under whose 
faithful care that taste for elegant and classical literature was developed, 
which marked liis official career. 

• He graduated at Trinceton College, in 1771, and remained in college a 
year after, that he might pursue his studies under the charge of Dr. Wither- 
spoon, between whom and himself a lasting friendship had sprung up. 
He commenced the study of law, but in the memorable year, l'i76, he was 
elected to the General Assembly of Virginia, and for forty years, he was 
continually in office either for his State or the United States. In 1778, lie 



lurinj 

1780, he took a seat in the Continental Congress, and became immediately 
an active and leading member, and continued to hold a seat in that distin- 
guished assembly of patriots until 1783. 

In 1784, '8o, and '80, Mr. Madison was a member of the Legislature of 
Virginia. 

in 1787, he became a member of the Convention, held in Philadelphia, 
for the purpose of preparing a Constitution for the Government of the 
United States. 

Perhaps no member of that body had more to do with the formation of 
that noble instrument, the " Constitution of the United States of America," 
than Mr. M idison. It was during the recess, between the proposition of 
the Cnnstituti(m by the Convention of 1787, and its adoption by the States, 
that that celebrated work, " The Federalist," made its appearance. This is 
known to have been the joint production of Alexander Hamilton, John 
Jay, and James Madison. This same year he was elected to Congress, and 
held his seat until the Continental Congress passed away among the things 
that were. He was a member of the State Convention of Virginia, which 
met to adopt the Constitution, and on the establishment of the new Con- 
gress, under the Constitution, he was chosen a member; retaining his seat 
until the close of Washington's administration in 1797. 

On the accession of Jefferson to the Presidency, he immediately offered 
Mr. Madison a place in his cabinet, and he accordingly entered on the dis- 
charge of his duties as Secretary of State; which duties he continued to 
perform daring the whole of Mr. Jefferson's administration; and on the 
retirement of that great statesman, he succeeded to his seat in 1809. He 
hold the position of President during the war of 1812, and brought it 
safely to a glorious conclusion. Mr. Madison retired, in 1817, to his peace- 
fnl home in Virginia, where he passed the remainder of his davs, loved by 
the many and respected by all, until, on the 28th day of June, 1836, the last 
Burvivor oi the f rumors of the Constitution, and one of the most distin- 
pTH«l»od chami)ion3 of American freedom, he gathered his mantle about 
Lim, and laid down of pleaaaut dreams, in the eighty-sixth year of his age. 



5. JAMES MONEOE. 

James Monroe, the 5th President of the United States, was born in 
Westmoreland County, Virginia, April 28, 1758. 

His early education was acquired at William and Mary's College, from 
which institution he graduated in 177G, when he commenced the study of 
the law. The sound of war and battle, however, did not allow him to 
proceed. Fired with a desire to do something for his country in its deep 
hour of need, he enlisted, and was speedily honored with a Lieutenant's 
commission, and marched forthwith to the headquarters of the American 
army. He met the foe at Harlem Heights and White Plains, and shared 
the perils and fatigue of the distressing retreat of the American army 
through New Jersey in 1776. He crossed the Delaware with Washington, 
and with him made a successful attack on the Hessians' camD, at Trenton, 
on the morning of the 2Gth of December, 1776, 

This successful blow was soon followed by the victory our soldiers gained 
at the battle of Princeton, by which courage and hope were once more 
infused into the spirit of our soldiers, and all classes of society. In the 
battle of Trenton, young Monroe received a musket-ball in the shoulder, 
notwithstanding which, he fought out the fight gallantly and valiantly. 
At Brandywine, as aid to Lord Stirling, he took an active share, and 
rendered conspicuous service in the bloody battle of Germantown. 

At the battle of Jlonmouth, he was also engaged, and displayed great 
gallantry and cool daring. Dissatisfied with his inferior position, he 
received permission to raise a regiment in his native State ; but, being dis- 
appointed in accomplishing it, he entered the office of Mr. Jeiferson, and 
resumed the study of law. In 1780, Mr. Jefferson, being Governor of 
Virginia, sent him on a special mission to the Southern army to ascertain 
its condition, whicli he performed to the satisfaction of that eminent 
man. 

On his return he was elected to the Legislature, and in 1783, was elected 
to the Continental Congress, and in 1786, was again elected t » the State 
Legislature. In 1788, he was a member of the Convention called to decide 
on the adoption of the new Constitution, and voted against its adoption. 
In 1790, he was elevated to the United States Senate, and in 1794, he was 
sent Envoy Extraordinary to to the Court of Versailles, where he ai-rived in 
the nick of time to consummate the purchase of Louisiana from Napoleon, 
who, being in pressing need of funds, ceded that vast tract of land, com- 
prising Louisiana, Arkansas, and Missouri, to the United States, for fifteen 
million dollars. After settling this purchase, he went to England to suc- 
ceed Mr. King aa Minister to the Court of St. James; but the affair of the 
frigate Chesapeake placing hira in an uncomfortable position, he returned 
to the United States. In 1810, he was elected to the Virginia Legislature, 
and soon after was chosen Governor, which office he held until Mr. Madi- 
son called him to assume the duties of Secretary of State in his cabinet. 

In 1817, he was elected President of the United States, and re-elected in 
1821, with great unanimity. His administration was a prosperous and 
quiet one. 

Mr. Monroe retired from the office of President more than impoverished, 
for he was in debt ; and, in his old age being harra.ssed by his creditors, he 
removed to New York, where he found an asylum and home with his 
daughter, and where he died on the 4th of July, 1831, being the third 
President who- had died on the anniversary of their couutiy'a inde- 
pendence. 



6. JOHN Q. ADAMS. 

John Quincy Adams, tlie sixth President of tlie United States, son of 
Joliu Adams, the second President, was born in Quincy, Massachusetts, 
July 11th, 17G7. 

"Wlu'u ten years of age lie accompanied his father to France, and resided 
abroad most ly until after the scenes of the revolution were brought to a close, 
and when liftcen was ])rivaie secretary to the American minister to Russia. 
Wishing to avail himself of a classical education he returned to his native 
land, and in 1 T8G entered Harvard College as a junior at the age of eighteen, 
and on graduating entered the law office of Theophilus Parsons, after- 
wards Chief-Justice of Massachusetts for many years. Mr. Adams was 
more a statesman than a lawyer, and during the bitter controversy of 
"Washington's Administration wrote several series of political articles, 
which won for him the esteem of the President and the api-)]ause of some 
of the greatest minds in both this country and England. In 1794 he was 
a]-)pf)inied minister to the Hague, and in 1797 was transferred to Berlin, 
whence he was recalled in 1801. 

]Mr. Adams now entered upon the career which terminated only with 
his life. He Avas elected to the Senate of Massachusetts in 1802, and ap- 
pointed United States Senator in 1803, which position he held until 1808. 

AVas made Professor of Rhetoric awd Belles Ijcttres in Harvard College 
in 180o ; sent minister to Russia in 1809; assisted in negotiating the Treaty 
of Ghent in 1815, and appointed minister to England the same year. 

He was Secretary of State under President Munroe in 1817, and was 
chosen President of the United States by the U. S. House of Representa- 
tives (there being no choice by the people), which position he held for four 
years. 

In 1831 he was elected a Representative to Congress and continued in 
that position until his death, which occurred in the speaker's room, Feb. 
23, 1848, two days after falling from his chair in the House of Representa- 
tives from a stroke of paralysis. His last words were: " This is the end 
of earth ; " "I am content." 

Few men have passed so large a portion of their lives in active public 
employment as John Quincy Adams. 

For more than sixty years he was in the service of his countrv, from 
secretary of legation at the early age of fifteen to the Chief Magistracy of 
the L nion. ° "^ 

Mr. Adams was a man of rare gifts and rich acquisitions. He was one 
ol the finest classical and belles letlres scholars of his time, and even 
inlusoldage otien astonished his hearers with the elegant classical nllu- 
-ons and rhetorical tropes with which he embellished his own produc- 



tions; and which earned him the title of the *' Old Man Eloquent" 

lie was a bold champion of freedom, free speech, and the ridit of peti- 
t on, and a fear Uss defender of the oppressed wherever they were to be 
Februu^ry ii3 ' ma "''"' '^^'* ^^' "^''^ ""^ ^^^ advanced age of eighty-six, 



1. ANDREW JACKSON. 

A^"DIlEW Jacksox, the 7th President, was born March 15, 1707, in" 
Union County, North Carolina. His father was a poor emigrant from the 
North of Irehmd, who died before Andrew saw the light of day. His early 
ediication was received at the old field-schools of that region, and from 
wandering school-teachers, during a few weeks in winter. 

He commenced his military ca:eer in 1781, at the age of fourteen, in the 
Revolutionary Army; but was soon taken prisoner. TVhile prisoner he 
was ordered by a British officer to do some menial work; he refused, 
saying, " I am a prisoner of war, and claim to be treated as such," for which 
he received a severe wound on the head and arm by the sword of the en- 
raged Englishman. 

At the close of the Hevolution he ptudied law, was admitted to the bar 
in 1780, and removed to Nashville, Tenn., and commenced practice in 1788, 
where he soon obtained a very successful business, and for twenty years 
continued to practice at the bar, except when interrupted by public 
employment. 

lie was elected to the United States House of Representatives, from 
which he was transfered to the Senate, and for six years served as Judge of 
the Supreme Court of Tennessee. When the war of 1812 commenced, 
President Madison gave him a commission in the Regular Army, and com- 
mand of the Southern troops, which he led against the Creek Indians ; and 
after two most vigorous and perilous campaigns, conquered and made a 
treaty with them on the "Hickory Ground," by which he received the 
familiar sobriquet of " Old Hickory." He afterward led hie victorious 
troops to the defense of New Orleans, where he fought, behind the cotton 
bags, his victorious battle with General Packenham ; for which he was hon- 
ored with the title of the " Hero of New Orleans." The rejoicings of that 
victory was soon followed by the welcome tidings of peace betAveen the 
United States and Great Britain. 

In 1818. he was again called upon to render his military services in the 
expulsion of the Seminoles, and in 1821 was made Governor of Florida. 
In 1828, and again in 18o2, ho was elected President of the United 
States. 

During his adminstration. Nullification raised its menacing head in 
South Carolina, threatening resistance to the execution of the laws of the 
United States. But Jackson issued his celebrated proclamation, saying: 
" By the Eternal the laws must and shall be executed," and South Carolina 
teceded from her position. His antagonism to the United States Bank 
caused him to order the removal of the United States deposits from that 
institution, and transfer them to certain State Banks. His opponents 
censured this measure as an unauthorized and dangerous assumption of 
power by the executive. 

His reply was, "I take the responsibility," and defended his course, by 
asserting the Bank to be unsound. He retired from the Presidency, March 
4, 1837, "and spent the close of his life at his "Hermitage," near Nashville, 
Tenn., cultivating his plantation, where he died June 8, 1845, aged seventy- 
eight. 

General Jackson was headstrong, but always honest; rash, but ever 
patriotic. Fear he knew not either on the battle-field or before that terrible 
'gQwev-^2^ublic opinion. His purpose once taken, no threats of his ene- 
mies, no persuation of his friends, and no personal considerations could 
shake it. 



8. MAETIN YAN BUEEN. 

Martin Van Bi'ijkx, the 8th President of the United States, -was born 
at Kinderhook, New York, December 5, 1782. He obtained his education 
at the common school and academy of his native village. 

In 171»(), while yet in his fourteenth year, he commenced the study of 
law. While a student, he was an active politician ; and, when only eighteen, 
represented the Republicans in the Congressional Convention of his district. 
In 1802-3 he studied in New York City, and, in the latter year,^ was ad- 
mitted to the bar. His business soon became lucrative, and his clients 
numerous- 

The first oflScial distinction he received was his appointment, by Governor 
Thompkins, as Surrogate of Columbia County, in 1808. 

In 1812 he was elected State Senator. He at once assumed a prominent 
position in the Senate, and continued a member of that body until 1820, 
having been, during that period, a zealous supporter of the war, and of the 
canal project. A portion of the time he was Attorney -General of the 
State. 

In 1821 he was elected to the United States Senate, and re-elected in 
1827. The following year he was elected Governor of New York by the 
Democratic party. 

His career as Governor, however, was brief. Scarcely had his adminis- 
tration commenced, when President Jackson offered him the office of Secre- 
tary of State, which he at once accepted, and resigned his Gubernatorial 
office. 

In the Cabinet he became the real, or apparent, rival of Mr. Calhoun ; 
and, probably finding his position therein an unpleasant one, resigned in 
April, 1831. The President appointed him ambassador to England ; but the 
Senate, by the casting vote of Mr. Calhoun, the Vice-President, refused to 
confirm the nomination, which step, it was generally thought, secured him 
the nominal ion for Vice-President in 1832. 

He received a large majority of the electoral votes for that office, which 
he continued to fill during President Jackson's second term, and in 1830 was 
elected President of the United States. 

The principal measure of his administration was the establishment of 
the independent Treasury. In the spring of 1837 commenced the greatest 
commercial revulsion ever known in this country. 

_ Extraviigant speculations had for some years prevailed. Since the 
"withdrawal of the deposits from the United States Bank, numerous State 
Banks h;id been chartered, a multitude of public works were undertaken, 
immense importations of foreign goods were mnde, and real estate rose far 
above its intrinsic value. At length the crisis came with tremendous effect. 
Thobanks suspended specie payment, and failures were numerous. 

Tiio National Government became involved in the general embarrass- 
T^^iK^w^ ?^ ^^^^^^ containing the public deposits suspended with the rest, 
c 1^^ banks resumed specie payment, and, after repeated trials, the 

bub-lreasury Bill was passed. 

Mr. Van Buren was again nominated for President in 1840, but was 
defeated by General Harrison, the Whig candidate. Since then ho lived in 
retirement m luuderhook. on the estate called Lindenwald, until hia death, 



9. WM. HENEY HABEISON.\ 

WiiiLiAM Henry IIj^.riiison, the 9th President of the United States, 
was born in Charles City County, Virginia, February 9, 1773. He was 
educated at Hampton Sidney Collcg-c, and prepared himself for the practice 
of medicine. At this time, the hoist; lities of the Indians excited his atten- 
tion, and, having received an Ensiiicn's commission from Washingt^ n, he 
joined the Northwestern Army in 1792, at the age of nineteen. He was in 
several actions, under General Wayne, who spoke in the highest terms of 
his bravery and skill. "For his coolness and courage at the bloody battle of 
Miami Ilapids, he was promoted to the rank of Captain. 

In 1797 he was appointed Seci-etary of the Northwestern Territory, and, 
at the ago of twenty-six, was elected Delegate to Congress from that Terri- 
tory. He was appointed first Territorial Governor of Indiana, and, in 
addition to his duties as Civil and Military Governor, he was Commissioner 
of Indian Affaii's, and concluded eighteen treaties. 

On the 7th of November, 1811, he gained over the Indians the celebrated 
battle of Tippecanoe. During the war of 1812, he was made commander of 
the Northwestern Army, and distinguished himself in the defense of Fort 
Meigs, and the victory of the Thames. In 181G he was elected a Member 
of Congress from Ohio, where he took an active part in legislation, and 
delivered his eloquent eulogies on the character of Thaddeus Kosciusco and 
General Washington. 

In 1828 he was sent Minister Plenipotentiary to the Kepublic of Colum- 
bia, South America, and on his return, retired to his farm at North Bend, 
Ohio, from which retirement he was called by the people of the United 
States to preside over the country as its Chief Magistrate, March 4, 1841. 
Perhaps no man since Washington has received such an enthusiastic and 
spontaneous welcome throughout the Union as the " Hero of Tippecanoe;", 
and certainly no President has gone into the office with so little opposition. 

In one short month after his inauguration, the country resounded to 
deep and heartfelt lamentations ; and all sections of the land bore signs of 
grief. He, in whom his party had trusted as the saviour of their principles, 
died at the city of Washington, on the 4th day of April, 1841, in the sixty- 
ninth year of his age. 

He was an honest man, a brave general, an intelligent statesman, a 
shrewd and calm diplomatist, a kind neighbor and friend, and a firm and 
constant lover of his country. His death was calm and resigned, as his life 
had been patriotic, useful, and distinguished ; and the last utterance of his 
lips expressed a fervent desire for the perpetuity of the Constitution, and 
the preservation of its true principles. 

In death, as in life, the happiness of lii3_ country was uppermost in his 
thouarhts. 



10. JOHN TYLER. 

John Tyler, Vice-Prosident, and successor to General Harrison as 
President of the United States, was born in Williamsburg, Virginia, March 
29, 17liO. At the age of twelve he entered William and Mary's College, 
wliere he graduated, with distinguished merit, five years after. He was 
admitted to the bar when nineteen years of age, and elected to the Virginia 
Legislature when twenty-one. 

In 18 1 G he was elected to Congress, and in 182G was elevated to the 
station of Governor of his native State. 

In 1827 the Legislature selected him to fill a vacancy in the United States 
Senate. He served in tViis capacity until 1830, when a difTerence of opinion 
having arisen between President Jackson and himself, he resigned his seat 
in that body, and went into retirement. 

Mr. Tyler did not again make his appearance in public life until 1840, 
when ho was selected by the Whig party as their candidate for Vice-Presi- 
dent, in connection with General Harrison, as candidate for President ; and, 
under the rallying cry of " Tippecanoe and Tyler, too" he was elected to that 
office by a large majority, and entered upon the discharge of its duties 
March 4, 1841. 

The death of General Harrison, one month later, raised him to the Chief 
Magistracy of the Republic. 

The course he pursued in vetoing two separate bills, chartering a United 
States Bank, besides opposing the measures of the party that elected him, 
in various other ways, caused him to be denounced by them in unmeasured 
terms, and occasioned the resignation, in 1842, of the whole of the cabinet, 
except Daniel Webster, who, as Secretary of State, had important negotia- 
tions with England ; and he continued in office until the consummation of 
the famous ♦' Ashburton Treaty," when, in the spring of 1843, he also re- 
signed. 

Mr. Tyler's term of office expired in 1845, after which he lived in retire- 
ment until the winter of 1800 and '61, when he took an active part in the 
c:ilhng and orLcanization of the Peace Congress which met in Washington in 
I'ebruiry, 1861, and of which he was the presiding officer. On his return 
to \ ir^^mia, lie became a member of the Virginia Convention which passed 
the onlin,mco of secession, April 17, 1861, and was afterward a member of 
the Kebcl Congress. He died in Ilichmond, Virginia, January 17, 18G2. 



11. JAMES K. POLK. 

James K. Polk, the 10th President of the United States, "was born, 
November 2, 1795, in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, and there re- 
ceived his early education. In 18UG he removed with his father to Tennes- 
see, and lived in the valley of Duck Kiver, a branch of the Cumberland. 

He graduated at the University of North Carolina, in 1815, studied law 
with Felix Grundy, and was admitted to the bar in 1820. He commenced 
his political career in 1823, as Representative to the Legislature of Ten- 
nessee. 

In 1825 he was elected to the Congress of the United States, in which. 
position he continued until 18u9 ; and was Speaker of that body from 1835 
to 1837. 

In 1839 he was elected Governor of Tennessee for two years, and was 
again a candidate, but was defeated. 

In 1844 he was nominated by the Democratic Convention at Baltimore 
as a candidate for President of the United States, against Henry C ay, the 
Whig candidate, and was elected. The annexation of Texas being the prin- 
cipal question of the canvass, Congi*ess passed a bill for its immediate 
admi^siun. This act involved the United States in a war with Mexico. 
That country refiising to accept the proposition to fix the boundary line 
between it and Texas by negotiation, General Taylor was ordered to take 
possession of the disputed territory, and a short and decisive contest fol- 
lowed, which resulted in the acquisition of important and valuable territory 
to the United States. 

The discovery of gold in California (a part of the acquired territory), the 
June following, i)roduced momentous changes in the condition of that coun- 
try, and made itself felt throughout the world. Thousands of men left 
their homes (forsaking farms, and closing up business) and flocked to the 
fortunate spot, and California soon became populated with people of all 
nations. 

Notwithstanding the advantages derived from the war, and the vast 
amount and value of the territory acquired, Mr. Polk was not nominated 
for a second term. He retired from the Presidency in 1849, and soon after 
reaching his home, in Nashville, Tennessee, his health began to decline, and 
he died June 15, 1849. 



12. ZACHAEY TAYLOE. 

Z.vriiAr.T TAYiiOU, the 13th President of the United States, was bom 
in the County of Orau.ire, Virginia, in the year 1790. 

After receiving such an education as the times permitted, he entered the 
army with a commission of Lieutenant in the Seventh Infantry, at the age 
of ciirlitoen, under the administration of Jefferson, in 1808. 

On the 10th of June, 1812, when war was declared with England, Tay- 
lor — who had previously received a Captain's commission— held command of 
Fort H irrison ; and, with a handful of men, defended himself against the 
attack uf a large body of Indians with such skill and bravery, that Madison 
bestowed iipon him the brevet of Major. 

From this period until 1840, Taylor passed his life in almost incessant 
warfare with the various savage tribes in the West, where he signalized 
himself by repeated acts of bravery and by the exhibition of a sagacious 
forecast, which Avon for him the approval of the nation. Meanwhile, he had 
passed through the grades of Lieutenant-Colonel and Colonel, and held, at 
this date, a Brigadier-General's commission. 

Ou the breaking out of the Mexican War, he had charge of the Army of 
the Rio Grande ; and, when hostilities commenced, he caused the erection 
of Fort Brown, at Point Isabel, where he deposited his stores, and then 
moved with his army to Corpus Christi. 

Hearing the Mexicans were about to attack Fort Brown, he determined 
to succor and relievo the place. But there was a Mexican army of not less 
th-.m five thousand strong between him and the fort, ready to dispute every 
inch of the gnjund. With only two thousand men. General Taylor cut his 
way tlirough to Fort Brown, during which he fought the glorious battles of 
Palo Alto and llosaca de la Palma, in which fell so many brave and gallant 
men. 

The attack on Matamoras, the storming of Monterey, the sanguinary 
battle of Bueiia Vistj, and the hundred skirmishes which took place in that 
year, form a page in history which will bear comparison with any other 
that has been written. 

With one-third— and often less— of the forces of the Mexicans, General 
Taylor mot Ihcni on their own ground, and always conquered. 

I[n perfect coolnes>, his majestic courage, his keen sagacity, his admira- 
ble getiuralshi])— true constituents of a military hero— have won for him 
undying laurels, while his kind and dignified demeanor ingratiated him 
with his offi-ers and soldiers. 

Whr-n peace was conquered. General Taylor retired to his farm at Baton 
Iwouge, L;i., full of honors as of years. 

T^ ?" }^^^ ^^^ '^^■'^^ drawn from his retirement, elected President of the 
Luitod States, and inau-airated M irch 4, 1841). 

Ho survived his inauguration but little more than a year, when he yielded 
up lus spirit on the Dth of July, 1850 ; and, for a second time, a Vice-Presi- 
ck-nt succeeded to the Presidency. 



13. MILLARD FILLMORE. 

Millard Fillmore was born January 7, 1800, at Summer Hill, Cayuga County, 
New-York. 

At an early age he was sent to Livingston County, at that time a wild region, 
to learn the clothier's trade ; and, about four months later, he was apprenticed to 
a wool-carder and cloth-dresser in the town in which his father lived. 

During the four years that he worked at his trade, he did what he could to 
supply the defect of his early education. 

At the age of nineteen, Mr. Fillmore bought his time, thereby ending his ap- 
prenticeship ; and about this time, Judge Wood, of Cayuga, discovering the latent 
talent of the youthful wool-carder and cloth-dresser, oftered to take him into his 
office and defray his expenses while he went through a regular course of legal 
study. Mr. Fillmore accepted the proposal; but, that he might not incur too 
large a debt to his benefactor, he devoted a portion of his time to teaching 
school. In 1821, he removed to Erie County, and pursued his legal studies in the 
city of Buffalo. Two years later, he was admitted to the Common Pleas, and 
commenced the practice of law at Aurora, in the same county. In 1827, he was 
admitted as an attorney, and in 1829, a-^ a counselor in the Supreme Court, and 
in the following year, he removed to Buffalo and entered into a much more 
extensive practice of his profession. 

His political life commenced with his election to the State Assembly, in which 
he took his seat, in 1829, as a member from the county of Erie, and he was re- 
elected the two succeeding years. Being a member of the Anti-Masonic party, he 
was at that time in opposition, and had little opportunity to distinguish himself; 
but he took a prominent part in assisting to abolish imprisonment for debt in the 
State. In 1832, he was elected to Congress, and took his seat the following year. 
In 1835, at the close of his term of office, he resumed the practice of the law, until 
he once more consented to be a candidate for Congress, and took his seat again in 
1837. 

During this term, he took a more prominent part in the business of the House 
than during his former term, and was assigned a place on the Committee on Elec- 
tions. He was successively elected to the Twenty-sixth and Twenty-seventh Con- 
gresses, and in both of them distinguished himself as a man of talents and great 
business cnpacity, being chairman in the Twenty-seventh of the Committee of Ways 
and Means. At the close of the first session of the Twenty-seventh Congress, he sig- 
nified to his constituents his intention not to be a candidate for reelection, returned 
to Buffalo, and again devoted himself to his profession, of which he had become 
one of the most distinguished members in the State. In 1844, he was prevailed 
upon to accept the nomination, by the Whig Party, for Governor of the State of 
New York ; but he shared in the general defeat of his party. In 1847, however, he 
was consoled for his defeat by his election to the office of Comptroller of the State 
by an exceedingly large majority. In 1848, he was nommated by the Whig Party, 
as their candidate for Vice-President, on the ticket with Zacbary Taylor for Pre- 
sident, and was elected to that office in the fall of the same year. In March, 1849, 
he resigned his office of comptroller to assume the duties of his new position, and 
in the discharge of these high and delicate duties, he acquitted himself with 
courtesy, (iignity, and ability, until the death of General Taylor, in July, 1850, 
elevated him to the presidential chair. He promptly selected a cabinet distin- 
guished for its ability, patriotism, and devotion to the Union, and possessing 
in an eminent degree the confidence of the country. His term of office expired 
March 4, 1853. Mr. Fillmore filled the distinguished station which he occupied 
with dignity and ability. He retired from office with the respect of all parties. 
After his retirement from office, he visited Europe, and while there, received 
the nomination of the American or Know-Nothing Party for the Presidency, for 
which he received a large minority vote, but a majority only of the State of 
Maryland, 



14. FRANKLIN PIERCE. 

Franklin Pierce was born November 23, 1804, at Hillsboro, New Hamp- 
Bhire His fatlier, who had experienced the disadvantages of a defective educa- 
tion "determined to secure the advantages of a liberal education to his son. 

ile was iirst sent to the academy at Hancock, and afterward to that of Fran- 
cestown X. II. In the year 1820," being then sixteen years of age, he entered 
Howdoin College, at Brunswick, Maine. His progres-i at school was steady; and 
his attention to college discipline and the routine of college regulations won for 
him tlie favorable attention of the professors of the institution. He advanced in 
his studies, and graduated creditably. Having chosen the law as a profession, he 
became a student in the office of Judge Woodbury, of Portsmouth. The last two 
vcars of Mr. Pierce's preparatory studies were spent at the law-school at Northamp- 
ton, Mass., and in the office of" Judge Parker, at Amherst. In 1827, being ad- 
mitted to the bar, he began the practice of his prolession at Hillsboro. Success 
did not at first attend his efforts ; but he rose by degrees, and attained a high 
rank as a lawyer and an advocate. He early in life entered into politics; and in 
the year 1829, at the age of twenty five years, he was elected to his first political 
public lionor, as representative from his nat-ive town to the Legislature of the 
State. He served in that body four years, in tlie two latter of which he was 
elected speaker by a large majority. In 1833, he was elected to Congress, 
and in 1837, was chosen a member of the United States Senate, he having barely 
attained the age necessary to a seat in that bouy. He served through one period 
of four years, and was reelected in 1841. The following year he re;-ign('d his 
seat, and returned to the practice of his profession in Concord, N. H., where he 
had removed when first elected to the Senate, and soon gave evidence of the high 
stand he was destined to occupy at the bar. 

In 184G. President Polk offered him the office of Attorney-General — an honor 
which he, however, declined. 

On the breaking out of the Mexican war, Mr. Pierce enrolled himself a as private 
soldier in the New England Regiment ; but President Polk sent him a colonel's 
commission, and subsequently raised him to the rank of a brigadier general in 
March, 1847. He took his departure for the seat of war on the 27th of May, 
1847. where, after seeing a gciod deal of hard service, and making one ot a band 
of heroes in several hai d-fought battles where victory always rested on the Ameri- 
can arms, he returned home, where he was received with much distinction and 
many honors. 

He resigned his commission and resumed the practice of his profession, and 
remained comparatively unobserved until the action of the Baltimore Democratic 
Convention gave him a new importance thioughout the Union. He was nomi- 
nated by lliat body as the Democratic candidate for the presidency, and was 
elected President of the United States in November. 1852 ; was inaugurated 
March 4, 1853, and served to the end of his term. He returned to his home in 
New Hampshire, and resumed the practice of his profession, and remained in pri- 
vate life mitil his death, on October 8, 1869, at Concord. 

As a member of society, Franklin Pierce was a universal favorite ; and by his 
good-nutured and unaffected urbanity, ingiatiated every one whose good lortune 
it was to make his acquaintance. As a publ c speaker, he was remarkably suc- 
cessful. He was not only remarkably fluent in his elocution, but remaikably 
corr.ct. His style was not overladen with ornament, and ycL he drew liberally 
upon the treasury of rhetoric. 



15. JAMES BUCHANAN. 

James Buchanan was born on the loth day of April, 1701, in tho 
County of Eranklin, Pennsylvania. 

Alter having- passed thi'ough a regular classical and academical course 
of instruction, he studied and adopted the law as a profession. 

Having- inherited a predilection for politics, he was elected in 1814 to 
the House of Representatives of his native State, and re-elected in 1810. 
After liaving- served two sessions, he declined another r:-election. 

In 1820 he was elected to tlie United States Cong-ress, and took his seat 
in that body in December, 1821. lie remained a member until March 4, 
1831, Avheu he declined further service, and retired to private life. 

In May, 1831, he was offered the mission to Eussia, by President Jack- 
son, and accepted the proffered honor. 

Immediately after his return, in 1834, he was elected to the United 
States Senate, to fill an unexpired term, and in 183G was elected for a full 
term, a:id re-elected in 1842. 

In 1845 he Avas appointed Secretary of State, by President Polk, which 
office ho hold during- his administration. 

In 1853 ho was appointed, by President Pierce, Minister to England, in 
which capacity he resided in London until 1850, when he was elected Presi- 
dent of the United States. 

His administration was signalized by the great financial revulsion of 
1857; the difficulties with the Mormons, which led to sending tvv^o thousand 
five hundred soldiers to bring them to subjection ; the arrival of the mag- 
nificent embassy from Japan, to deliver the treaty which had been negotiated 
between the two countries ; the struggle for freedom in Kansas ; the admis- 
sion of three new States into tho Union, viz. : Minnesota, in 1858 ; Oregon, 
in 1859 ; and Kansas, in January, 1801 ; and the inauguration of the Kebel- 
llon. Mr. Buchanan Avas surrounded, mostly, by advisers who sympathized 
with the South ; and he allowed events to take their course. The army of 
the United States was scattered along the Western borders — the navy sent 
to distant i^orts ; the arsenals at the North were stripped, and the arms 
sent to the Soiith ; State after State seceded ; the Confederate Government 
organized at Montgomery ; Senators from the Rebel States uttered the 
boldest treason in the debates at the capitol ; and, during all this time, 
President Buchanan did nothing to countei'act the efforts of the Rebels, or 
to avert the threatened danger, denying, in his mess:ige to Congress, any 
powers of " coercion" to exist, constitutionally, in the National Government. 
Such Avas the melancholy state of affairs when his administration drcAV to a 
close, March 4, 1801, and Abraham Lincoln took his place. 

He then retired to his farm at Wheatland, near Lancaster, Pennsylvania, 
where his remaining years Avere spent in quiet retirement. 

In 1805 he piiblished a defense of his course as President, with the title: 
" Mr. Buchanan's Administration on the Eve of the Rebellion." 

IIg died at Wheatland, June 1, 1808, • 



16. ABKAHAM LINCOLN. 

ABRvns.M LixcoLN, the 16th President of the United States, under 
whose wise administration the country, in its hour of peril, was enabled to 
combat successfully with treason and rebellion, was born February 1^, 
1809, in Harden County, Kentucky. 

Ilis father removed to Indiana in 181G, where for ten years Abraham 
■was employed upon the farm, during which time, the schooling ho re- 
ceived did not amount to more than one year ; but by close application he 
mastered the rudiments, and learned to write. 

In 18o0, ho removed with his father to Illinois, where he was variously 
employed in splitting rails, as flat-boatman, and clerk, and where, by his 
honest and upriirht intercourse with his neighbors, he acquired the sobri- 
quet of "Honest Abe." In 1833, he served as Captain iu the Black Hawk 
War. 

He did not, however, have the opportunity to display his great military 
skill by a conflict with the Indians, but, as he himself averred, had many a 
bloody fight with tlie mosquitoes. 

After a brief attempt to keep a store, he studied surveying, afterward 
the law, and commenced practice in 18o6, settled in Springfield iu 18o7, and 
rose rapidly in his profession. He was elected to the State Legislature in 
183() and 1838, and in 1846 to the Congress of the United States, being the 
only "Whig elected from Illinois that year. On his return from Congress 
he devoted several years to his profession, until the repeal of the Missouri 
Compromise in 1854, when he again entered the field as a Republican, and 
battled indefatigably in that celebrated campaign which resulted in victory 
for the first time against the Democratic party in Illsnois, and elected a 
Legislature which sent Mr. Trumbull to the United States Senate. In 
1858 he was the Republican candidate for United States Senator, in opposi- 
tion to Stephen A. Douglas, with whom he conducted an active canvass 
throughout the State, both candidates speaking at the same place, on the 
same day. Face to face they argued tho important points of their political 
beliefs, and contended nobly for the mastery. In 18G0 he was elected 
President of the United States, receiving all the electoral votes of the free 
States, except three ; and was re-elected in 1864. 

The history of his administration is a history of the rebellion. It 
was especially illustrious by his "Emancipation Proclamation," issued Janu- 
ary 1, 1803. which gave freedom to four millions of people, and imme- 
diately changed the character and purpose of the war, bringing it in 
unison with the Declaration of Independence. 

The difficulties with which the war on our hands was comijlicated were 
almost interminable, but with each new-found difficulty he found new 
stn-ngth, hope, and energy, until all obstacles were overcome and the war 
ended. But at the very dawn of the nations' new birth, resting from his 
labors, and contemplating that peace that was then breaking through the 
(lark, angry clouds of war, lie fell, by the hands of an assassin, on tho 14th 
day of April, 1805. 

Mr. Lincoln was endowed with a most genial soul, powerful intellect, 
and sound judgment. Ho met the critical hour of duty to his country like 
a * tatcsman and a man. Ho sustained lovalty, and gave all his strength in 
f ru.hing treason. Ho consulted and advised with Compress for tho good of 
hio country, assisted in giving force to tho la^vs of tholan'd, and Executed 
them finllilully. ' 



17. ANDEEW JOHNSON. 

Andhkw Johnson, the 17th President, was born in Kaleigh, North 
Carolina, December 29, 1808. At the ai^-e of ten years, he was apprenticed 
to a tailor, in his native town, with whom he remained seven years. He 
never attended school ; but, by his own exertions, he learned to read while 
he was yet an apprentice. 

A fewyeaia latei', his wife instructed him in arithmetic and writing-. 
In 1820 he emigrated to Tennessee, and settled in Greenville, as a tailor. At 
tAventy years ot age, he was elected an Alderman of that town ; was re- 
elected in the two following years ; and from 18^0 to 1834, he held the office 
of Mayor. 

In 18o5 he entered political life as a Democratic Member of the State 
Legislature; was re-elected in 18o9; and during the Presidential canvass of 
1840, was an effective speaker in favor of the Dcmor-ratic candidate. In 
1841 he was elected a Member of the State Senate ; and, from 1843 to 1853, 
held a seat in the Congress of the United States. In l8o3 he wns elected 
Governor of Tennessee, which otHce he held until 1857, when he was elected 
by the Legislature a United States Senator. 

At the outbreak of the Rebellion, he pronounced strongly in favor of the 
'Union, and denounced, in severe language, those who favored secession. 

\v hen the conflict commenced, he was appointed Brigadier-General of 
Volunteers. In 1802 he was appointed, by President Lincoln, Military 
Governor of Tennessee, which position he held until his election as Vice- 
President of the United States, in 1804. 

He was inaugurated March 4, 1805, at which time he delivered his ever- 
to-'be-remembered inaugural address which caused so much comment at the 
time, especially in England. 

On the ever-memoi'able 14th of April, of the same year, the assassin's 
bullet deprived the nation of the lamented President Lincoln, and put Mr. 
Johnson in his chair, which he has since occupied. Rebellion having been 
conquered, the work of restoration and reconstruction became the problem 
to be solved. Having a policy of his own, entirely different from that of a 
large majority of the Members of Congress, which he was determined to 
carry out, his administration has been an eventful one. 

There having been a change in the fundamental condition of the seceding 
States, caused by rebellion and the emancipation of the slaves. Congress 
deemed it expedient to pass Reconstruction laws, which he vetoed ; but 
they were again passed, over his veto. His neglecting to execute those laws 
according to their letter and spirit, together with alleged violation of the 
Tenure of Office Law, &c., caused the House of Representatives to bring 
articles of impeachment against him, in February, 1808, which they pre- 
sented to the Senate. That body resolved itself into a "High Court of 
Impeachment ;" and, after a protracted trial, the votes of the Court were 
taken in May, 180*^, on three of the eleven articles, which resulted in thirty- 
five for conviction, and nineteen against. As two-thirds were required to 
convict, he was acquitted on these, and the vote oa the remainder was ia- 
definitoly postponed 



18. ULYSSES S. GRANT. 

General Ulysses S. Grant was born at Toint Pleasant, Ohio, April 
27, lb'-*2. His early opportunities for acquiring- an education were limited, 
having the benelit only of a school during the winter months, the summer 
being devoted to labor on a farm or in his father's tannery. 

Ho early evinced a particular fondness for mathematics, and, at the age 
of seventeen, received the appointment of cadet in the military academy at 
West Point, where he graduated in 1843, and entered the United States 
army as a Brevet Second Lieutenant of Infantry. He served in the 
Mexican War as Second Lieutenant and Eogimental Quartermaster of the 
Fourth Inlantry, and, for gallant conduct at Molina del liey and Ghapulte- 
pec. he was breveted First Lieutenant, and, in 1853, was promoted to full 
Captaincy. 

On the 31st of July, 1854, he resigned his commission in the army, took 
up liis residence near St. Louis, Mo., and engaged in farming for four years, 
when, finding it unprofitable, he removed to Galena, in.,and eatered into 
the ieather business with his brother, in which he continued until the 
breaking out of the Rebellion, Avhen, remembering what he owed his country, 
lie said to a friend : " The Government has educated me for the army ; what 
I am, I owe to my country ; I have served her through one war, and, live or 
die, I will serve her through this.'' 

He offered his services to Governor Yates, who appointed him Asst. Adjt. 
General of the State ; but, desiring active service, he was appointed Colonel 
of the Twenty-First Illinois Volunteers, June 15, 1801, and, August 7, was 
commissioned Brigadier-General, wilh rank from May 17, 18G1, and took 
command of Southeast Missouri, with headquarters at Cairo. He occupied 
Paducah on the 6th of September, and fought the Confederates at Belmont 
on the 7th of November. 

He conimanded at the capture of Fort Henry, on the Tennessee River, 
February G, 1802; then marching across the country to the Cumberland, 
ho invested Fort Donaldson on the 12th, in conjunction Avith Admiral 
ioote, with the gunboats, commenced the attack on the l3th, and, on the 
IGth, received an "unconditional surrender " from General Buckner. For 
this victory ho was maae Major-General. After the capture of Nashville, 
and fightuig the severe battle of Shiloh, April G, 1802, he was appointed 
b) command of the Department of Tennessee, with headquarters at Jackson, 
Miss. L.irly in January, 1863, General Grant assumed the principal direc- 




October, J 803, lie was directed to assume commTnd" of'tlre'troops Tt Chat- 




'Y v^MMv iicu ms enurts, and l.ec surrendered at Appomattox, April 
COS. andthofTrr-'r ^'''' planned all his campaigns so as to insure suc- 
lhri.\"w!.l anns '^ conquered ever after remained in the possession of 

th«LWdaS^\'L?i''''ir''^ W'^ unanimous nomination for President of 
imj united atatea by the EoimbUcaa partj-, and was clec'ted Xov. U, 180B 



19. CHEISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

Christopher Columbus was born at Genoa, Italy, about the year 1435. 
He commenced his maritime career while yet a mere youth, his fii'st voyage 
being with a naval expedition fitted out at Genoa, in 1459, by John of 
Anjou, Duke of Calabria, to recover the Kingdom of Naples for his father, 
Kene, Count de Provence. 

For many years after this, the traces of his career are faint His saga- 
cious mind led him to believe that there were other lands afar off, toward 
the setting &un ; and he resolved to convince the world that his views were 
correct. 

Poor and friendless as he was, he conceived the bold idea which led to 
the discovery of the Western Continent, i'ull of this purpose, he sought 
the aid of powerful courts, first applying to the throne of Portugal, and 
then to, that of Spain. But here he encountered the fiercest opposition ; and 
not till after many years of str^iggle and disappointment did he succeed in 
securing the patronage of Ferdinand and Isabella, who fitted him out with 
a squadron of three small vessels, carrying only one hundred and twenty 
persons. 

With this little fleet, full of hope and the solemn purpose he had so long 
and ardently cherished, he set sail from Huelva, on the ud of August, 1492. 
After a long and perilous voyage, in which the terrors of the Atlantic Avere 
among* the smallest difficulties he had to encounter, his officers, crew, and 
passengers being in constant fear and mutiny, his heart was made glad, and 
the fears of all dissipated, by the joyous cry of '■'■ Ldiid Ho !" on the morn- 
ing on the 12th of October, 1492. 

Columbus speedily landed, and took possession, in the name of their 
Catholic Majesties, amidst a wondering crowd of naked savages, who re- 
ceived him with simple sincerity. 

He cruised among the Islands for several months, and gave them the 
general name of " West Indies." 

January 4, 1493, he set sail for Spain, where his return was hailed as a 
triumph, and he was treated with all the pomp and cei'cniony of a mighty 
conqueror. 

He soon sailed with a larger and better-provisioned squadron, bearing 
the title of Admiral, Viceroy, and Governor of all the lands he had, or 
might discover; with unlimited powers to make laws for their government, 
erect cities, &c. 

He reached his place of destination, and immediately commenced to 
carry into execution the plans he had so long cherished ; but intrigue and 
treachery at Court made his lot a continual strife, and he, at length, re- 
turned to Spain, rather as a prisoner than a conqueror. 

He again returned to the New World ; and, after a futile effort to regain 
his Avonted sway, he again sought redress at the foot of the throne ; but 
Isabella being dead, Ferdinand treated him with such duplicity and base 
ingratitude, that the old mariner died, broken-hearted, and carried his 
cause to a higher Court. 

The discovery of America by Columbus, may be regarded as the most 
important event that has ever resulted from individual genius and enter- 
prise. Although another has i-eceived the honor of giving a name to this 
continent, yet the world accords to Columbas the honor of its discovery. 



20. AMEHICUS YESPUCIUS. 

Amertcus Vespucius was born at Florence,' Italy, in 1451. From him 
this cuutiufut derives its name, as its first discoverer, although it is gener- 
ally conceded that Christopher Columbus first set foot upon its soil and 
occupied the country. 

He descended from a very ancient house, and belonged to one of the 
proudest families of that celebrated city. His education was respectable, 
and lie was possessed of a bold and enterprising spirit. Fired with the 
accounts of the discoveries of Columbus, he became desirous of seeing the 
New World for himself; and, accordingly, on the 20th of May, 1497T he 
sailed from Cadiz, as a merchant, with a squadron of four small ships, under 
command of the celebrated and valiant Ojeda. 

Daring this vo^-age, Amcricus claims to have seen the continent. He 
may liave done so, but much doubt envelops the matter At all events, his 
siic(!ess was such as to induce Ferdinand and Isabella to place a fleet of six 
ships under his command, when he made his second voyage. 

On his return in 15U0, he received the same ungracious treatment from 
the contemptible Ferdinand which had been visited on Columbus, and he 
returned to Seville, mortified and disgusted at the ingratitude of princes. 

Emanuel, King of Portugal, hearing of his humiliation, offered to fit 
out a fleet of three ships and give him command, which he accepted, and 
sailed from Lisbon in May, 1501. 

ilo exj)l()red the coast of South America from Brazil to Patagonia, and 
returned, laden with riches and honors, in September, 1502, to Lisbon. 

Ho again set sail, with six larger vessels, in May, 1503, for the i:)urpose 
of finding a western passage to the Moluccas Islands, but, falling short of 
provisions, he was foiled in the attempt. 

Loading his vessels with specimens of the valuable wood of Brazil, and 
other precious products, he returned to Portugal after an absence of a little 
over a year, and was received with every demonstration of joy and respect. 

Ho now retired, and devoted himself to the preparation of the history of 
his adventures. 

He drew and published the first chart of the American coast, in which 
he laid claim to be the discoverer of the country. 

In 1507 lie published a history of all his voyages. It was filled with 
glowing accounts of the New World, mixed up with the most splendid 
fictions, and was read all over Europe with great delight. It Avas published 
just attor tho death of Columbus, and was thus jolaced beyond the reach of 
that eminent navigator, who, had he lived, would doubtfess have exposed 
the pretpnsions of its author. 

Uo died, at Tcrccira ,in tho sixty-tliird year of his age, in 1514. 



21. HENDEICK HUDSON. 

Hendrick or Hexky Hudson, an eminent discoverer and explorer of 
the American coast, was born in England, and devoted his early life to the 
seas. But little is knoAvn of him prior to 1607-8, when we find him on a 
voyag-e of discovery along the coast of Greenland, his object being to find a 
northwest passage to Japan or China. 

On the 25th of March, 1009, he sailed from Holland on that adventurous 
voyage, which, although it nearly cost him his life, resulted so conspicuously 
to the interests of mankind, and added much to his renown and to the com- 
mercial strength of his employers, " The Dutch East India Company." 

After running along the coast of Lapland, he crossed the Atlantic ; and, 
after a voyage of immense peril, discovered and landed on Cape Cod, in 
Massachusetts Bay. He then pursued his course southerly, examining all 
the principal rivers, to the Chesapeake, and ascended the great river which 
bears his name as far as where Albany now stands, expecting to find a pas- 
sage to the Pacific Ocean by that way ; but, being dijjappointed, he turned 
his prow towards Holland, stopped, and left a few settlers at Manhattan, now 
New York, and arrived home in 1010. 

Ho started again, under a new patron, to discover " the Northwest Pas- 
sage," which was destined never to be found. 

But, although he failed in this, he 'discovered the great northern bay, 
which bears his name, and Avhere he was destined to find a violent grave. 
After exploring the inlets and promonitories of this remarkable bay, he 
drove his ship into a small inlet, where the ice closed around it, on the od of 
November, 1011. 

The prospects of a long and dreary winter was much relieved by enor- 
mous flocks of wild fowl, which not only afforded abundance of food for 
present use and future prospect, but diverted the attention of his crew from 
their uncomfortable condition. Already some of the men had become 
troublesome, and hints of revolt and threats of vengeance occasionally 
reached the ears of their commander. But the mild influence of an early 
spring softened, at once, the stony hearts of the desperadoes and the icy 
fetters which held them in their prison-house for more than half a j-ear. 

As soon as he was clear of the ice, he started for home, but suddenly 
found that his supplies were nearly exhausted. The discovery broke his 
spirit, and infuriated the crew. He divided the provisions among* the men 
equally, which was but a few pounds to each ; yet some of them became 
riotous, and in his despair he threatened to set them on shore : whereupon 
several of the strongest wretches entered his cabin at night, seized and 
bound his hands behind him, and then set him adrift, with his son and 
seven of his men, who were sick, in a small shallop, and proceeded on their 
way home, arriving at Plymouth after a voyage of terrible suffering and the 
loss a| seven men at the hands of the savages. 

Hudson was never heard of more. He sleeps among the sands of that 
ice-girt sea aad that noblo bay to -which he gave his name aa his perpetual 
mcnumont. 



22. JOSIAn WINSLOW 

JosiATi W'lXSLOW -was born in whnt is now Marshfield, Massachusetts, 
in \G'2d. just nine years after the arrival of the Pilgrinis. 

He was son of Edward Winslow, who came over in the May-Flower, 
and who was the third Governor of tl u Colony. Josiah was born of brave 
stock, of which he proved no deireneratc scion. 

He commenced his public life very eurly. No sooner had he arrived at 
the a<::e cliivible to office than he Avas chosen Deputy to the General Court, 
from his native town, and was constantly employed in public business, until 
he was elected Governor. He was a man of charming- address, a well-cul- 
tivated mind, and an amiable disposition. The>e traits, added to his fear- 
less courage and military bearing, all resting on a hig-hly-refmed piety for 
their base, eminently fitted him f(jr the then highly-important ofHcc of Gov- 
ernor, and gave him great popularity. 

His first public act after he was chosen Governor, was the restoration to 
their civil rights of Isaac Ilobinson and Mr. Cadworth, of which thej had 
been deprived on account of their I'cligious opinions. 

He was mild and tolerant himself, and could not endure the persecutions 
which were practiced against non-conformists of whatever name. His moral 
character was fully equal to his physical courage. He encountered public 
prejudice with the same unblenching resolution with which he exposed 
him<^elf to the bullets and ambush of the Indians. 

King Philip's war Avas coincident Avith his administration, and in it he 
did eminent service, and proved himself a sagacious leader and brave war- 
rior. 

In 1G57, soon after the death of his father, he was elected to the office of 
Commander-in-Chief of the military forces of the Colonies. For manj'- years 
lie Avas one of the Commissioners of the Confederated Colonies. 

Of highly-polished manners, greatly gifted in couA-ersation, fond of 
society, and blessed Avith the means to gratify himself in all these respects, 
the .social and festive scenes of " Cares well" Avere of the most delightful, 
refined, and instructive kind. Here, Avith his beautiful wife jiresiding, he 
Avon for himself the proud distinction of being " the most accomplished 
gcntli nuin and the most agreeable companion in New England." Governor 
Winslow nevci- enjoyed A'ery robust health, and his exposures and hardships 
in King Philip's war doubtless aggravated his disease, and accelerated his 
death, Avhich took place on the 18th day of December. 1G80, in the fifty^ 
second year of liis age. 

Josiah Winslow was the first native-born Governor of the Plymouth 
Colon V 



23. PETEUS STUYVESANT. 

pETiius StuyvesaisT was Lorn in Holland, near the beginning- of tlie 
sixteenth century. 

In 1G02 the Dutch East India Company received its charter, under 
whose auspices Ilendrick Hudson discovered and explored the great North 
River, of New Netherlands, as far as Albany, in 1G09. 

Colonies were soon after formed in Albany and New York, then called 
New Amsterdam. 

In 1G21 the Dutch "West India Company was formed; and, under the 
patronage of this mighty corporation, with its almost exhaustless resources 
of wealth and power, Ncav Netherlands at once received an impetus of 
growth which has gone on increasing until the present day. Various men 
had been appointed to the Director-Generalship, who had governed, or 
misgoverned, its affairs, for about a quarter of a century, when Petrus 
Stuy vesant, Avho had been Director-General in the Dutch colony at Curacoa, 
and from which port he had returned to Holland, on account of ill' health, 
received the appointment in 1G45. 

Four ships comprised the squadron which bore the GoA'ernor-Gcneral to 
the new sphere of his authority, filled Avith newly-appointed otiicers, farmers, 
tradesmen, artisans, speculators, and gentlemen of leisure, seeking a home 
and livelihood in the New World. 

General Stuyvesant's "strong points of character" began at once to ap^ 
pear in the rigid discipline of the ships, and the general good order prevalent 
throughout the squadron. 

On his arrival at New Amsterdam, he found things in a sad condition. 
Misrule had complete ascendency, and riot, murder, theft, and injustice of 
all kinds, bore sway. 

With a wise energy he strove to correct these evils, and at length re- 
duced the chaos to trder. He was at once a thorough reformer of abuses, 
while he consolidated the Government, and became thoroughly conservative 
in its administration. Stern and uncompromising, and possessed withal of- 
an unsuspected character for morality and truth, the affairs of the colony 
prospered under his administration. 

But he had to encounter the machinations of jealous, mean-minded men 
at home, and envious and selfish ones in the colony. After twenty years of 
troubled reign, he was recalled, to defend himself before his superiors, and 
was deprived of his commission. 

He was the last of the ancient regime, for New Netherlands was shortly 
afterward wrested from the hands of the Dutch, hzr the English, under 
whose rule it remained until 1776, when the United States declared their 
Independence. 

Stuyvesant returned to this country in 1GG8, and died in 1G72. There 
are landmarks of his farm still in existence in the city of New York. 



2^. ALEXANDEE HAMILTON. 

At f.x \NDEr IIvmii.tox was born on the Island of Nevis, in the Britisli 
West indies, on the 11th of January 1757. At twelve years of age he was 
placed in the countino-room of a merchant of the Island ot St Croix where 
his talents and ambition soon displayed themselves. In a letter to a fellow- 
clerk before he was thirteen, he said: "I mean to prepare the way for 
futurity " In 1772 he came to New York, and in 17 < 3 entered Columbia 
Colle"-c where he made *' extraordinary display of richness of genius and 
ener'°y'of mind." It was durinu" his college life that the country was 
roused to the consideration of British aggressions and American Independ- 

lie took strong and decided revolutionary grounds, and wrote and spoke 
in so clear and forcible a manner as to attract the attention of the wisest 
minds engaged in that controversy. 

Dr. Cooper, Principal of the College, and several others of the ablest 
Tory writers, were confounded by theVo^o^^^i principles, able reasoning, 
and sound policy of his essays, and would not believe they were the produc- 
tions of a youth of seventeen. He alsi. joined a volunteer company of militia, 
while in college, and made himself familiar with all the tactics and theory 
of war. 

In 1770 he was appointed to the command of artillery, and from that 
time until 1781 he was in constant and active service, mostly as aid to the 
Commander-in-Chief, and became Washington's principal and confidential 
aid. 

General Washington intrusted him with the most delicate and difficult 
diplomatic duties, and with nearly all his important correspondence. 

In 1782 he took his scat in Congress, where his genius and sound 
judgment was speedily felt. 

lie retired from Congress in 1783 to the practice of law in New York, 
where his clear mind and lucid elociuence won for him the admiration of 
all, and raised him to the head of the New York bar. 

He was a delegate to the Convention which framed the United States 
Constitution ; and, while before the people for their ratification, he, in con- 
junction with Mr. Jay and Mr. Madison, wrote that series of essays com- 
posing the two volumes of the Federalist. Of those eighty-five papers, Jay 
wrote five ; Madison, twenty ; and Hamilton, sixty. On the adoption of the 
Constitution, he was called by Washington to the head of the Treasury 
Department, which, for five years, he filled with marked ability. Indeed, 
there was .scarcely a plan adopted by Congress during Washington's admin- 
istration wliich does not bear the mark of his mighty genius. From this 
l)ori(jd until his untimely death, he divided his time between the duties of 
his profession and those of public life, awakening general admiration by the 
brilljiincy of liis talents, and winning the esteem of all, by his many amiable 
virtues. On llic 12th of July, 1804, he fell in mortal combat by the hand 
of Aaron Burr; and "all America and Europe mourned his untimely fate." 



25. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. 

Benjamin Franklin, the youngest of a family of seventeen, was born 
in Boston, Massachusetts, January G, 1700. He was destined for the church 
by his father, and was sent to the grammar-school for two years, during 
which time he made rapid progress. His father, being no longer able to 
keep him at school, took him home to assist in his occupation of soap-boiler 
and tallow-chandler, where he confinued for two years, when his extravagant 
fondness for books determined his father to make a printer of him. He was 
accordingly apprenticed to his brother, who published the Ncic England 
Courant, the second paper that made its appearance in Amei-ica. Here he 
had access to books, which he read without stint, and soon commenced to 
write anonymous pieces on the topics of the day, which were published in 
his brother's paper, and which attracted the attention of prominent men, 
who spoke very highly of them. He then made himself known to his 
brother as the author, who afterward treated him with more consideration. 
He continued to write for the paper, and sometimes criticised the acts of 
the Government so severely as to incur its censure of the paper, and, after 
a Avhile, his brother was forbiddden to publish it, when it was turned over 
to Benjamin, and conducted in his name ; and, in order to make it legal, his 
apprentice papers were canceled. Having some dispute with his brother 
soon after, he took advantage of his freedom thus gained, and left him. He 
then went to New York to find business, but, being unsuccessful, continued 
on to Philadelphia, Avhere, with a loaf of bread under each arm, and one in 
his hand from which he ate, and a few pennies in his pocket, he traveled 
the streets of that city, in search of employment, which he soon found ; and, 
by persevering industry, he ascended the ladder of greatness, round by 
round, until he reached the highest pinnacle of fame in his country's his- 
tory. 

He was prominent among those distinguished patriots who threw their 
whole influence and energies in favor of the great strviggle for human free- 
dom, was on the committee with those who drew up the Declaration of 
Independence, and was one of the signers of that immortal document. In 
1778 he was sent as ambassador to the brilliant Court of the King of France, 
where, amidst the gay and richly-dressed courtiers, ministers, and ambassa- 
dors, the venerable Franklin, with unpowdered hair, a round hat, and plain 
brown coat, commanded the respect of all around laim ; and his acquaint- 
ance was sought with eagerness by all, as a man whose fame as " the great 
philosopher and statesman of the age," had preceded him. 

His researches in philosophy were extensive, and his experiments in 
electricity revokitionized the world on that subject. 

He brought from the clouds the lightning with Ids kite, and showed 
that it could be controlled by man, to his advantage. 

His Avise sayings and practical advice to the young, have become house- 
hold words, and have done much ioward stimulating them to honesty, 
economy, and industry. 

Mr. Franklin was the first President of the American Philosophical 
Society, which he did much to build up and make memorable. He died in 
Philadelphia, on the 17th day of April, 1790, being eighty-four years of age. 



1^«! 



26. ISRAEL PUTN^iV^I. 

;Major-,o-cncral Israel Putnam -was bora in Salem, Massachusetts, 
January 7, 171S. 

Anion,;; the brave men, -wiio fought the early battles of our country, 
none were braver than Putnam. 

lie was of a kind and peaceful nature; but when roused by insult, or 
injustice, liis iron lieart leaped to his hand, and his blows on the heads of 
wrong-doers fell fast and furious. When yet a mere boy, he was insulted 
by a much larger and older bny, on account of his rustic appearance, to 
whom he gave a sound tbrasliing, to the delight of the lookers-on. What 
Bchoolboy has not read the thrilling story of '' Old Put and the Wolf?" 

He served in the old French and Indian war, in which his whole ca- 
reer teemed with acts of romantic chivahy. All his hardships, hair- 
breadth escapes, and wondrous feats, would require volumes to narrate. 
In 17.57, while Putnam bore tlie rank of major, he was ordered, in com- 
pany witli the intrepid Rogers, with a detachment of several picked 
men, to watcli the movements of the enemy, Avho were encamped near 
Ticonderoga. Being discovered, he was compelled to retreat on Fort 
Edward, Avhen ho fell upon an ambush of French and Indians. Taken 
by surprise, he halted his men and returned the fire of the enemy ; and 
the battle soon became general and waxed hot. Putnam became sepa- 
rated from the body of his array, and was compelled to defend himself 
against several Indians. Three of them he slew, when the fourth rushed 
on him (as liis gnu missed fire) with uplifted tomaha^vk, and Putnam sur- 
rendered. Tlie Indian immediately bound him to a tree, and pined the 
melee once more. AVhile bound, he was between the fire of both par- 
tips, at one time; and the bullets pierced his clothes, and the tree beside 
hun. A young Indian also amused himself by throwing a tomahawk 
into the tree beside of his head. At the close of the fight, he was un- 
bound, led into captivity, and treated with great cruelty. 

lie was tied to a sapiing, and a fire kindled to roast him alive; but 
just as tlie fire began to scorch his limbs, a shower of rain came and put 
out the flames ; and before they could again be kindled, the savage who 
captured hun came and claimed him as his ; and having some spark of 
humanity in his savage breast, dressed his wounds and protected him 
HMii insult and cruelty during the remainder of the march. He was at 
length exchanged, and lived to fight other battles 

u\All\''' ^''f''^'\'"- °"^ of the Revolutionary War, he was at work upon 

Mt'.fi.V''", S'^V'^'^fr^ll-?'' '^""^^'^'^ informing him of the contem- 

a ; : . f i • T ^^;'^^\^'^ 1.^^11. ^^^ was in the field plowing. He immedi- 

soison ti "i'' ^ •''^' ^?"'' ^".' '^^'^ '^"'^ J""^I^^^^ "P«»i i^is horse, arriving in 
season to do eminent service in that memorable battle 

liis firm'''^vi T''^'-- f=^^tlifully, and at the close of the war retired to 
vTiifi loVrmi ^^ ''n''"J"^'''V^ blessings of the free institutions for 
ctlecUcu'^lIv'ool^i^^;;;^^ °^ seventytwo. when he died, at Brooklyn, 



y 



27. HENRY KNOX. 

General IIenry Knox was born in Boston, Massachusetts, Julj 25, 
1750. 

He married the daughter of a staunch loyalist, and was an officer in the 
British army when the struggle of the Revolution commenced. His whole 
soul was fired with the cause of freedom, and he contrived his escape from 
Boston, and, presenting himself at the camp of "Washington, offered his ser- 
vices to his country. His wife, who, notwithstanding her Tory origin, 
fully sympathized with the patriots, accompanied her hiisband in his flight, 
secreting his sword in the folds of her petticoat. The noble woman adhered 
to his fortune through the trials and privations of the campaign, and had 
the holy satisfaction of sharing her husband's joys in the established Inde- 
pendence of their country. 

When young Knox presented himself at "Washington's headquarters, 
our army was destitute of cannon, without which he felt that it was impos- 
sible to cope with the British forces. There was no way of obtaining the 
needed supply but by transporting it from the dilapidated forts of the Can- 
adian frontier. This dangerous and almost Herculean labor was triumph- 
antly performed by that gallant young officer, and an artillery department 
of respectable foi'ce was added to our army, the command of wiiich wrs 
bestowed upon Knox, with a Brigadier-General's commission. These guns 
were planted on Dorchester Heights, and the British army speedily com- 
pelled to evacuate Boston. General Knox, at the head of the artillery, was 
in constant service during the entire contest which succeeded, and generally 
under the immediate eye of Washington, between whom and himself a 
strong attachment existed, which lasted until the death of his distinguished 
and beloved commander. At the battle of White Plains, Trenton, Prince- 
ton, Brandywine, Germantown, and Monmouth, as also at the seige of 
Yorktown, Knox and his artillery rendered most valuable aid. He was one 
of the commissioners to negotiate the terms of capitulation of Cornwallis. 
In 1785, under the old regime. General Knox was Secretary of War, until 
the new organization, when Washington immediately appointed him to the 
same office, which he continued to hold until 1794, at which time 
Washington reluctantly consented to accept his resignation, and he retired 
to his farm, in Thomaston, Maine, where he lived in hospitable retirement, 
until the 25th of October, 180G, when lie died suddenly from accidental stran- 
gulation. 

Few men contributed more largely to the succes3 of our Revolutionary 
struggle than General Knox. 

As the projector, author, and first commander of r.rtillery, with the entire 
confidence of Washington, his opportunities were cf[ual to his desires, and 
his success tantamount to his genius and bravery. 



28. WILLIAM PENN. 

WiLTT\M Tenn, the founder of the State which boars his name, was 
born in London, October 14, J644. Before he was fifteen he entered Oxtord, 
and was converted to Quakerism by the eloquence of an itinerant preacher 
oi that sect, and was expelled from college for non-conformity before he 

wa!^ pixtoen. ,, . , ,i '.-r J.^ 

Honest in his convictions and sturdy in adhering to them, neither the 
expostulation of his friends, the discipline of his father, nor the threats of 
the church, could shake his- faith in his purpose. 

He studied law in Lincoln's Inn until the year 1GG5, when, the plague 
breaking out in his native city, he went to Ireland, to manage his father's 
estate. '^Here he joined a fraternity of Quakers, in consequence of which he 
was recalled. 

He was so persistent in his adherence to the habits and dogmas of his 
sect, that his father banished him from his house. He then commenced 
preaching, and was very successful in gaining proselytes to his sect. 

He was exceedingly obnoxious to the Government, and was several times 
fined and imprisoned. But nothing intimidated him. Even in prison he 
wrote and published books, and sent them forth to the world. 

On the death of his father, a large estate fell into his possession ; but he 
continued to write, travel, and preach, as before. 

The Crown owing large debts to the estate, Penn asked and obtained, in 
1081, a charter of Pennsylvania, where a colony was soon planted, and ho 
himself arrived the next year. 

Feeling that he had no moral claim on the soil, he negotiated with the 
Indians who occupied it, and purchased it of them at a price perfectly satis- 
factory to both parties. 

He established the capital, and named it Philadelphia, drew up a code of 
laws for his growing colony, ordaining perfect toleration for religious opin- 
ion, and returned to England, in 1GS4, to exert his influence in favor of his 
persecuted brethren there. He was instrumental in the deliverance of more 
than thirteen hundred who had been cast into prison for heresy. So malig- 
nant were his enemies, that they effected his imprisonment on the charge of 
Papacy ; but he succeeded in obtaining his freedom, and returned once 
more to America, where he revised his code of laws, and made some altera- 
tions in the form of government, at the same time traveling through the 
country^ preaching and Avriting on the subject nearest his heart. 

In ITUO he again returned to England, where he resumed his favorite 
pursuit, until 1712, when paralysis put a stop to his active life, and caused 
liis death in 1718. 

Tlie character of "William Penn, alone, sheds a never-fading lustre upon 
our history. He established his commonwealth on the basis of religion, 
morality, and universal love, and he won the confidence of the Indians by 
his strict justice. 

Few men have lived whoso efforts have been so productive of good, and 
80 free from evil. 



29. BENJAMIN HUSH. 

Benjamin Rush was born in Byberry, Pennsylvania, on the 24th of 
December, 1745. His father dying when he was quite young, his mother 
assumed the charge of his education ; and so faithfully did she execute the 
important trust, that he was able to enter Princeton College at the age of 
thirteen ; and such had been his progress in his studies, that he obtained 
his degree before he was fifteen years old. After studying five years with 
a celebrated physician here, he went to Scotland, and studied two years, 
spending a few months in England and Prance. 

On his return, in 17G9, he was elected Professor of Chemistry in the 
College of Philadelphia. In 1701, the College being merged into the Uni- 
versity, Dr. Rush was appointed Professor of the Institute in the practice 
of medicine, and of clinical practice. 

His lectures were popular, -and very fully attended. In his treatment of 
yellow-fever, which about this time desolated Philadelphia, he seems to 
to have been eminently successful. He remained at his post constantly 
during the three months of its ravages, and gave his services freely to the 
poor, rejecting enormous offers from the rich, that the children of poverty 
might not suffer from want of care. Once he came near falling a victim to 
the disease. He took no rest, and visited, on an average, one hundred pa- 
tients daily. He adopted for his motto : " The poor are my best patients, 
for God is their paymaster." 

Dr. Rush was an ardent patriot, and took a decided stand with the 
friends of his country. 

By his counsels and his pen he did eminent service to the cause of his 
country, and filled several important offices. In 1776 he signed that im- 
mortal instrument, " The Declaration of Independence." 

In 1777 he was appointed head of the medical staff of the Continental 
Army, and was assiduous in his duties in that department. 

Dr. Rush was a great student and writer, and it is through his many 
printed works that his memory is kept fragrant in the hearts of his country- 
men. From his nineteenth to his sixty-fourth year he was a public writer. 
His productions exhibit extensive learning, profound medical science, deep 
piety, a zealous patriotism, and unbounded benevolence. Plis moral quali- 
ties wej'e such as naturally spring from an elevated mind, and a heart that 
had bei n cultivated by an intelligent mother. 

Prom the age of twenty-four until his death, he was in constant and ex- 
tensive practice. He was cut off suddenly by a prevailing typhus-fever, in 
the midst of his usefulness, April 19, 1813, being sixty-eight years of age. 
He saved others : himself he could not save. 



30. PATRICK HENEY. 

Patrick Henry -was born in Virginia, May 29, 173G. Hia boyhood was 
as unpromising- as could well be imagined, lie was a great truant, hating 
his books, and delighting in nothing so much as his angle-rod and gun. 

In these sports he would spend weeks at a time; and while Avatching 
the cork of his fi^,hing-^od, he would sit for hours absorbed in reflection. 
In the midst of his companions, he often sat silent, appearing to be 
occujjied with his own thouy-hts, or reflecting deeply on the char;icter of his 
playmates. At sixteen his father set him up in trade, but he did not suc- 
ceed. During tliat time lie acquired a taste for reading, but his chief em- 
ployment was in studying the character of his customers, as they became 
excited in controversy, or interested in relating anecdotes. 

Not succeeding in the store, he determined to study law. After six 
weeks' study, he applied for a license to practice, and passed his examina- 
tion, astounding his examiners, not by his knowledge of law, but by the 
strength of his intellect, and brilliancy of his genius. For three j-ears his 
success was small, when an event brought him before the court, and gave 
him a chance to display his ability as a pleader and an orator. It was a 
case between the people and the clergy of the English Church, in regard to 
the payment of their salaries in tobacco, at a price fixed by the Legislature. 

Patrick Henry was employed by the people, as no one else could be 
found to espouse their cause. 

When he rose to make his plea, he faltered, and appeared very awkward, 
and the people hung their heads at so unpropitious a commencement, the 
clergy, at the same time, exchanging sly glances with each other. In a few 
moments, however, as he warmed with the subject, those wonderful facul- 
ties which he possessed were, for the first time, developed, and now was wit- 
nessed that mysterious transformation of appearance which the fire of his 
own eloquence never failed tD work in him. His attitude, by degrees, be- 
came erect and lofty; th£ spirit of his genius awakened all his features; 
hia countenance shone with a grandeur which it never before exhibited ; 
there was a lightning in his eye that seemed to rive the spectators. His 
actions became graceful, bold, and commanding ; and in the tones of his 
voice, more especially in his emphasis, there was a peculiar charm, " a 
magic," of which all who ever heard him, speak, but of Avhich no one could 
give any adequate description. His triumph was complete. The Jury q-ave 
him a verdict without deliberation, and the people carried him from" the 
Court-House on their shoulders. 

,^7P"?.!^"^ ^^"^^' Patrick Henry was one of the foremost men of Virginia, 
an.l his life was brilliantly connected with the history of his country. 

AftcT a successful career at the bar, he was elected to the State Leo-isla- 
turo, where his well-known speeches, familiar to every school-boy, gave Vir- 
ginia to the Revolution. He served conspicuously'in the First Congress, 
and was elected Governor of Virginia. "■ ^ ° ' 

age"''' '^'''*^ '''' ^^^ ^'^ "^""^ ""^ June, 1799, in the sixty-fourth year of hia 



31. JOHN hancoce:. 

John Hancock was born in Quincy, Massachnsetts, in 1737. He 
graduated at Harvard College, in 17o4:, at the age of seventeen, with, no par- 
ticular marks of distinction. 

On leaving college, he entered the counting-room of his uncle, one of 
the wealthiest merchants of Boston, where he remained six years. 

He then went to E<irope, and returned, after four years' absence, to enter 
upon the immense fortune of his uncle, who, dying, had made him his heir. 

In 176'), at a political meeting to nominate a candidate to the Legisla- 
ture of Massachusetts, Samuel Adams, desirous of enlisting in the cause of 
the iDcoplo, the great estate and influential name of John Hancock, nomi- 
nated him to represent his district, and he was elected. Ev^er after, he was 
an ardent and conspicuous friend of his country. Indeed, he made himself 
so prominent in the politics of the day, that he was in danger of prosecution 
for treason. 

In 1708, one of his sloops, laden with wine, from Madeira, was seized by 
the Government, on a pretext of false entry. A mob collected, and pelted 
the officers with stones, broke the windows of their residences, and seized a 
boat belonging to the collector of the port, which they dragged to the Com- 
mon, and burned. 

This was the first serious disturbance which had occurred in America 
growing out of the events preceding the Revolution. 

It made a prodigious noise in the world, and gave a great prominence to 
the name of John Hancock. 

In 1774 he was elected a member of the Continental Congress, and was 
chosen President of that body. That year he delivered an oration, on the 
anniversary of the Boston massacre, which established his reputation as a 
true friend of the country. 

In 1776, as President of Congress, he placed his name at the head of that 
immortal paper which declared to the world our Independence, whex-e it 
stands in that round, striking hand, which exhibits a bold and fearless 
spirit, and a resolution never to subscribe to any compromise with tyranny 
or oppression. 

Mr. Hancock was blessed with a pleasing person, winning address, and 
possessed great wealth. Staking everything on the die of the Revolution, 
he became one of the most popular leaders of that glorious struggle, and one 
of the most obnoxious to the Tory authorities. 

In 1780 he was choseu first Governor, under the new Constitution, of his 
native State, which office he continued to hold (with the exception of two 
years) until his death, in October, 1793, at the age of fifty-five. 

Possessed of ample means, Governor Hancock lived in a style of princely 
magnificence, find his abode was the ne plus ultra of a noble and brilliant 
hospitality. His door was never shut on the people, and the poor were 
never sent empty-handed or in sorrow from his door. 

At his table might bo seen all classes, from grave and dignified clergy- 
down, t;0, the gifted i,^ g,QHg, narrative, anecdote, and Avit. 



82. JOHN JAY. 

John Jay was born in Now York, DccoiuLor 13,1745. IIo graduated 
nt Columbia CoHck'P, in 1704, Avilb tlic lii^'-bcst liouors of bis class; and iu 
17<jS was admit led to tlio bar, Avilb ibc most brilliant prosjiccts, in wliicb 
lie would undoubtedly liavo risrn to ^roat (Muincnco, Iiad lio not been called 
to the political arena, and joined tliat noblo brotbevbood Avho leagued for 
tlio overMirow of tyranny, and stood sbouldcr to sbouldor witli tbo Adamses, 
.Teiferson, Ilonry, J lamilton, and ibc wludo liost of patriots wbo took tbeir 
lives in their bands, and determined to sink or swim with tbcir country. 
Ho was elected one of tbo delejzfates to tbo First Cong-ress, in 1774, and 
wben be took bis seat was tbe youngest mend)er on tbo floor of tbat House; 
yet sueb Avas tbe g-ravily of bis manner, tbe j)rofoundness of liis knowledge, 
and tbe ripeness of liis judgnu'nt, tbat bo was a})pointed to some of tbo 
most important committees of tbat aug-ust body. Ho wrote tliat address to 
tbo people of Great Britain, wbi(;b tbo gifted Jefferson pronounced tbe pro- 
duction of tbe finest pen in America. Ho also wrote several otbcr addresses 
adopted by Congress, all of wbicb bear tbe stamp of true genius, burning* 
patriotism, iind great eomprebensiveness. 

In 1777 be was appointed Cliiei'-Justice of tbe Supremo Court of tbo 
State of New York; in 177!), Minister to Spain ; and, in 1782, Commissioner, 
in company witb Dr. Franklin, Jobn Adams, and Mr. Laurens, to negotiate 
a peace witb I'iUgland, 

It was mainly owing to bis firmness tbat the recognition of tbo Inde- 
pendence of tbo United States was extorted from Great Britain. 

lie wrote a number of essays in tbe Fiuleralist, was cbosen Secretary of 
Foreign Affairs, wbicb position be bold until tbo adoption of tbo Constitu- 
tion of tbe United States, wben be was appointed Cbief-Justice of tbo 
Suj.remo Court, and in 1794 was appointed Envoy Extniordinary to Great 
Britain, to negotiate a treaty of commerce, wbicb bo eHW^ted with great 
skill and tidelity to las country. 

On bis return be Avas elected Governor of New York, and served iu tbat 
capacity until ISOl, av1„-u Ik- retired to private life. 

Like all gn;it men of tbat d;iy, like Wasbino-ton, Jefferson, Franklin, 
Hamilton, Batnek Henry, and Jobn Ilandolpb, and all otbers of like grade, 
Jobn Jay Avas an abolitionist. 

He brought lu.mowith him, from abroad, one negro slave, to whom ho 
crave lus fn.,.<loni, wben ho liad served long enough to pay the expense in- 
curred lu bringing him liere. < iJ I 

yiv. Jay died in May, IS^O, liaving lived to tbe groat ago of eighty-four. 



33. LAFAYETTE. 

Marquis t>k Lafayette was bom in Franco, in tlio year 1757. At the 
ag-o of twenty, reiuHing' prct'crmcnt Jind distinction at homo, lie fitted out an 
arnianiont, at his own (jxponse, for tlic relief of the American eolonifiH, wlien 
their cause seemed most gloomy and des])airin<;, and came to assist with t.i.s 
eonnsel, i)urs(\ and troops. Arriving,'- in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1777, 
he soon joined the army, with a Major-CJeneral's commission, which he ac- 
cepted on the condition that ho should bo allowed to Bcrvo at his own ex- 
pense, and enter tho army as a volunteer. 

His judgment was so profound, and his courage so cool, thatllu; prudi'ut 
and sagacious Washington confided to him the i)0st of difficulty and danger, 
and never found his couhdenco misplaced. 

Ho remained in America two years, sharing freely in all tho hardships 
of our suff(!ring army, and returned to Paris, bearing honorable scars, and 
tho grateful thanks of all the colonies. Ho remained in 1^'rance two ye.'irs, 
actively engaged in the affairs of his (jrovernment, and using all liis influ- 
ence, in conjunction with Franklin, then American Minister to tho Court of 
Versailles, in behalf of tho American colonies. He soon returned to tho 
field of strife in America, and, after a brilliant campaign, had the satisiiu;- 
tion of seeing tho Britisli forces compelled to surrender at Yorktown, and 
the boastful Cornwallis give up his sword to th(! hero, Washington. 

Lafayette again received the thanks of Congress, and was ccmveyed homo 
in triumph in an American frigate. 

The following year he i)aid a visit to the United States, and was received 
amidst the griiteful and expressive manifestations of the peo'jde, his i)rogress 
through the States being a continued fctc. On his return to France, ho 
entered t)i(! arena of political strife, already open in that country, in which 
his patriotism and love of liberty df)omed him to conlisfiation and prison, 
and nearly to lose his life. Many of liis family laid their necks })en(!at]i tho 
keen edge of tho guillotine; others, his wife among them, were shut u[) in 
gloomy dungeons. At length ho was set free, and as soon as it was known 
in America, tho most urgent invitations were sent him to visit tho lJnitt;d 
States — " that country dear to his heart." Congr(;ss seconded the voice of 
the people, and jdaced the gunboat " North Carolina" at his disposal. Ho- 
clining the honor, he embarked, with his son, in one of tho regular packets, 
the " Cadmus," and reached New York, August ^4, 1H24. 

Never was a reception so imposing and spontaneous. Ono general shout 
of ** Welcome/ Welcome! !" burst fnjm all lips, prompted by every heart. 
From city to city, and from town to town, through the entire borders of tho 
land, for the space of one year, ho journeyed, amidst continued enthusiasm. 
Valley and hill echoed his beloved name, joy and thanksgiving rang from 
every spire, and boomed ivom every piece of ordruiiKio in the land. 

On returning home, he did what hiy in liis y)ower to (;stablish liberty in 
the bosom of his native France, until June, 1834, when his earthly struggle 
closed. 



^y 



34. SAMUEL ADAMS. 

P VMVEL Ad VMS was bom in Quincy, Massachusetts, September 27, 1722, 
and L-raduatcd at Harvard College at eighteen years of age. 

At that early age lie wrote several able articles m lavor ot resisting the 
mairistrat'cs, if the liberties of the commonwealth could not otherwise be 

prcsorvGu.. 

He commenced life as a merchant, but the force of circumstances, to- 
gether wilh his unconquerable love of liberty, soon convinced him and the 
world tli;it tlie arena of politics was his natural sphere. 

In 1705 he was elected to the Legislature, from Boston, of which he was 
a membor for ten years. In 1774 "he was sent to the General Congress, 
where, by his eloquence and burning patriotism, he exerted a mighty influ- 
ence in behalf of Independence. 

On the adoption of the Constitution of Massachusetts, he was elected to 
the Senate, over which he was called to preside. In 1789 he was elected 
Lieutenant-Governor of the State ; and on the death of John Hancock, in 
17U4, he succeeded him as Governor, which office he held for three years, 
when he retired to private life, but did not live long to enjoy it. 

Among the names of the brave band of patriots who first offered resist- 
ance to tiie encroachments of British power on the liberties of the English 
colonies in America, none is more reverently and affectionately cherished in 
the American heart than that of the " Patriarch," Samuel Adams. For 
stern, unbending republicanism, and unflinching devotion to the cause of 
freedom, none exceeded him. 

No seductions or bribes could reach his integrity, as was evinced by his 
reply to Colonel Eenton, the emissary of General Gage, sent expressly to 
buy up the "obstinate rebel." After offering every tempting bribe, in the 
shape of gold and office, and more than intimating that his liberty, if not 
his life, hung on his reply : " Go," said he, raising himself to his full 
height, and putting himself in an attitude of proud, heroic defiance ; "go 
tell Governor Gage that my peace has long been made with the King of 
Ivings, and that it is the advice of Samuel Adams to him, no longer to insult 
thefcdinf/3 of an already exaftperated peoj)le.^^ 

Samuel Adams, more than any other man, induced the people of America 
to resist the Stamp Act. He was the man chiefly instrumental in destroy- 
ing the tea in Boston harbor. Above all, he was the originator of the 
Congress of the Colonies, which met at Philadelphia. It was he, also, who, 
more than any other in Massachusetts, created the public opinion that sus- 
tained these measures. 

As each new measure of arbitrary power was announced from across the 
Atlantic, or each ncAv menace and violence on the part of the officers of 
the Gcjvemment or the army, occurred in Boston, its citizens rallied to the 
sound of his voice in Taneuil Hall, and there, in the " Cradle of Liberty," as 
from the galkry or from the chair, he animated, enlightened, fortified, and 
roused the admiring throng, he seemed to gather Uicm together under 
the n'gis of his indomitable spirit, as a hen gathers her chickens under her 
wings. 

buraucl Adams died, at the great age of eighty-one, October 2, 1803. 



35. riSHEE AMES. 

TisnER Ames, so widciy ImoAvn as an eloquent orator and distingnislied 
statesman, was born in Dcdliam, Massachusetts, April 9, 1758. In 1774 
he graduated at Harvard Colleye, Cambridge, Massachusetts, and, having 
completed his studies, with great credit to himself, he opened a law office in 
his native village, in the autumn of 1781. Although young Ames took a 
deep interest in the stirring scenes of the Revolution, and sympathized, 
with his whole heart, with the patriots, he was too young to take any active 
part with them. 

He published many striking articles in the journals of the day, in which 
the affairs of the nation were so skillfully discussed as to give evidence of a 
very thorough knowledge of the science of government and politics ; and he 
was chosen a Member of the Convention for the Ivatilication of the Federal 
Constitution. 

The speeches he delivered in this convention took his friends and the 
world by surprise, and at once established his reputation as one of the ablest 
and most eloquent debaters of that day. 

In 1789, Mr. Ames was elected a Member of Congress, retaining his seat 
throughout the whole of Washington's administration, of which he was 
an able and efficient supporter. 

With a comprehensive insight of the subject in hand, his eloquent rea- 
soning made the rough places smooth, and carried conviction to the hearts 
and judgment of those who listened to him. When, towards the close of 
his last term, the question relative to the appropriation necessary to carry 
into effect the British Treaty was the subject of debate before the House, 
Mr. Ames, although in feeble health, made such an overwhelming argument 
that the ojiposition begged that the vote might not then be taken, as the 
effect of his speech was such as to unfit the Members to vote dispassionately. 
Such was the tribute paid to his eloquence and reasoning powers. 

This was his last and greatest effort ; and, feeling that it would be, he 
:nado such a touching allusion " to his own slender and almost-broken thread 
of life, as to visibly affect his audience. Declining to be a candidate for 
re-election, he retired to his paternal acres, where, with the exception of 
serving a few years as a Member of the Council, he remained a private citi- 
zen to the close of his life. The New Jersey College conferred on him the 
title of Doctor of Laws; and sereral years before his death he was chosen 
P-e-^ident of Harvard College, which honor he declined on account of ill 
health, and which eventually compelled him to give up his profession, and 
solace himself with the oversight of his farm. Here he awaited the Heavenly 
summons, and passed away at last, like one who " wraps the drapery of his 
couch about him, and lies down to pleasant dreams." 



30. ELBRIDGE GEREY 

Elbridgr Gekhy -tt-as bom in Marbleliead, Massachusetts., July 17, 
1744 Kothino- is known of the childhood of this distinguished man, until 
we find him a member of Harvard College, at the early age of fourteen, 
from which institution lie graduated in 17G2. 

IIo liad chosen the medical profession, but his father was desirous that 
he should assist him in the mercantile business ; and so he became a partner 
with his father, and for many years was a successful merchant in his native 
town. 

In 1773 he was elected to the General Court of the Province of Massa- 
chusetts. Already that body had taken strong grounds against the 
measures of the Crown, and Mr. Gerry sustained the doings of the patriots. 
In 177o, Samuel Adams introduced his celebrated motion for the appoint- 
ment of a " Standing Committee of Correspondence and Inquiry," and, 
although one of the youngest Members, Mr. Gerry was i)laced upon that 
committee. 

The same year, Mr. Adams laid before the House the foreign corres- 
pondence of Governor Hutchinson. This was like throwing a fire-brand into 
ji mafjazine, and roused the indignation of the citizens to the highest pitch. 
Mr. Gerry was among the foremost to denounce the treason of the Governor, 
and greatly distinguished himself in his efforts to forward the energetic 
resolutions with respect to the tea-trade, the port-bill, and non-intercourse. 
Mr. Gerry was elected to the Provincial Congress of Massachusetts, wdiich 
met at Salem, in October, 1774, and then adjourned to Concord, where he 
came near being arrested by the British troops sent there to break up the 
Congress, and arrest its Members. 

They reassembled at Cambridge, and Mr. Gerry threw himself, with all 
the energy of liis enthusiastic nature, into all their measures, and was one 
of the foremost of that " Rebel crew" who cast defiance into the teeth of the 
British Ministry. 

He was elected a Member of the l^'irst Continental Congress, and took his 
seat February 9, 177G. He took a conspicuous part in the doings of that 
patriotic body, of which he remained a Member until 1785. 

His name makes one of that glorious band who signed the Declaration 
of Independence. He was also a Member of the Convention that framed the 
Constitution ; yet he did not like it, and voted against its acceptance ; but 
when it was accepted, he used his best influence in its support, conceiving 
that the best interests of the country depended on its being carried heartily 
into clFcct, now that it had become a law. He w^as chosen a Member of the 
Pirst Congress, under it, for four years. 

He waa sent to Paris in 17U7, Avith Pinckney and Marshall, to adjust the 
difficulti(,s with Prance; w^as elected Governor of Massachusetts in 1805, 
and ngain in 1810 ; and, in 1812, Vice-President of the United States, with 
]\radison. AVhile occupying that position, he died suddenly, November 23, 
1814, aged seventy. 



37. JOSEPH WABEEN. 

G-eneral JosEPn Waktiex, the brave Revolutionary patriot, wliose blood 
Btains the soil of Bunker Hill, was born in Eoxbuiy, Massachusetts, inl 741, 
entered college in 1755, and commenced the practice of medicine in 1703. 

In 1775 he received the appointment of Major-General in the Continental 
Army, and in the same year, on the ever-glorious 17th day of June, sealed 
with his blood the protest of freemen against the usurpations of tyranny. 

Plad Warren lived, it is easy to perceive that he would have been among 
the most conspicuous of that holy band, who pledged their lives, their for- 
tunes, and their sacred honor, to the cause of freedom in the New AVorld. 

He not only knew no fear, but seemed to court danger, for the very love 
of it, as the following anecdote will show : 

The Boston Massacre took place on the 5th of March, 1770, and its anniver- 
sary had been celebrated for three years. The British residents of Boston 
had become incensed at the free spirit in which that bloody act was dis- 
cussed in these orations, and in 1775 several British officers declared that it 
would be at the peril of his life, should any patriot attempt to pronounce 
an oration on the coming anniversary. 

This threat aroused the fiery spirit of Warren, and, although he had 
officiated only the year before, he requested permission to assume the peril 
and the honor. On the day appointed, the old South Church was crammed 
to its utmost capacity. A large number of British officers were present, 
some occupying the pulpit and pulpit-stairs. The doorway and aisles were 
so densely packed, that Warren and his friends were obliged to enter the 
pulpit- window by a ladder. 

The officers were struck by his cool intrepidity, and involuntarily 
yielded up the pulpit, and suffered him to assume his proper place. As he 
came forward, with a calm brow and flashing eye, he appeared the very 
impersonation of moral courage and personal bravery. It was a moment of 
intense excitement. Stillness, that was palpable, rested on every lip ; many 
a heart palpitated with the wildest enthusiasm. 

When he opened his lips, his voice was firm and unfaltering, 
while its deep and almost unearthly tones told how fully the spirit was 
stirred within him. Soon his voice rose, and, warming with his theme, in 
tones of thunder he poured out the vials of his wrath upon the actors in the 
bloody tragedy of March 5, 1770, and hurled defiance in the very teeth of 
those who, but a few hours before, had threatened his life, but who were 
now awed before the majesty of his sublime courtige. 

He declined Prescott's proposal to command at Bvmker Hill, and entered 
the ranks, where he fought with unflinching bravery, being among the last 
to quit the breast-works, and fell only a few yards from them, fighting to 
the last. 



38. BENJAMIN LINCOLN. 

Bknjamtx Lincoln, an heroic officer of the Revolution, a skillful dip- 
lomatist, and ready debater in the councils of the nation, was born at 
Hin<j:ham, Massachusetts, June 23, 1733. When the Revolutionary war 
conuuenced, Lincoln was Lieutenant, under commission of Governor Hut- 
chinson. 

J He unhesitating-ly threw himself into the cause of the Colonists, and, in 
1775, was cloctid a member of the Provincial Cong-ress, and by that body 
appointed one of its Secretaries, and a member of the Committee of Corres- 
pondence. 

In 177G he received the appointment of Brigadier-General, and the fol- 
lowing year entered the Continental Army as Major-General; and in the 
autumn of the same year joined the Northern Army under Schuyler. He 
rendered valuble service in that trying campaign, and signalized himself 
in both the battles on the plains of Saratoga, which proved so disastrous to 
General Burgoyne. 

He was so severely wounded in the fight of the 7th of October, as to be 
obliged to leave the army, and return home. He rejoined the army (to the 
great joy of Washington, who duly appreciated his valuable services) in 
the following August. 

He was immediately sent to the South to assume command of the army 
in that quarter, which he found, on his arrival at Charleston, S. C, in 
December, 1778, in the most destitute and disorderly condition ; but, by 
indefatigable industry and energy, he was enabled to take the field, and 
commence offensive operations in the June following, when he attacked the 
garrison at Stono Ferry, and, in conjunction with the impetuous De Estaing, 
made a chivalrous attack on Savannah, both of which were unsuccessful. 

Q- Tj ^^^ ^"^^c^took to defend Charleston against the siege and blockade 
of Sir Henry Clinton's army of nine thousand men, and, after a brave resist- 
ance of more than two months, was obliged to surrender. 

Such was his popularity with the army and the whole country, that 
their confidence in him was not abated by this disaster, for, on being ex- 
changed in 1 .81, he rejoined the army, and was sent once more to co-operate 
with tae Southern forces, where he had the high satisfaction of aiding in 
tlie reduction ot lorktown, and of conducting the defeated army to the 
tielcl where they were to lay down their arms at the feet of Washington. 

Immediately alter the close of the war, Mr. Lincoln was chosen Secretary 

ot \\ ar. lie resigned in 1783, and received the thanks of Congress for his 

patriotic military and civil services, when ho retired to his farm, and passed 

}'.fi"n'"''^T '7^^^''i? literary pursuits, until 178G-7, when betook 

the held again to quell the famous Shay'.s insurrection. 

of}.u,n^'"K^';7"'^''''V'/^^'''f^'"'P^''^^®^ this, he again sou-ht the seclusion 
c dl I r' f ^ ''''^ ^"^"^P entirely from public service, for the people 



39. CHARLES CAEEOLL. 

CnAKLES Catiuoll, of Carrollton, was born at Annapolis, Maryland, 
September 8, 17o7. 

At eight vears of age he was sent to France to be educated, where he 
remained until 1757, when he went to London, and entered the Temple, as 
a student of law. To this study he brought a strong and refined intellect, 
cultivated by a highly-finished education; and when, in 17G4, at the age of 
twenty -seven, he returned to Maryland, he took a high stand among his 
countrymen, from whom he had been separated for nearly twenty years. 

In the course of the next year, after the return of Carroll, the odious 
Stamp Act was passed. Amongst the foremost of those who boldly pro- 
tested against this piece of tyranny, and pledged themselves to resist the 
execution of the infamous law, was " Charles Carroll, of Carrollton." 

In 1774, the Delegates to the Maryland Assembly voted that no more 
tea should be imported into their territory. Nevertheless, the same year a 
brig-load of the obnoxious article arrived in port, which produced im- 
mense excitement; and personal violence was threatened to the owners 
of the vessel and consignees. In this state of things, Mr, Carroll's advice 
was sought by the owners. " If you would allay the people's rage," was 
his reply, "burn the vessel, together with its contents." Complying with 
his advice, they took the brig into the stream, set it on fire, and burned it 
to the water's edge, amidst the hearty acclamations of the patriotic multi- 
tude. 

In 177G, Mr. Carroll was appointed a Commissioner, in conjunction with 
Franklin, Samuel Chase, and John Carroll, to induce the Canadians to join 
in resistance to English oppression. Unforeseen events, together with the 
unlimited power of the priests, prevented its success. 

On his return to Philadelphia, he found the subject of the Declaration 
ol Independence under discussion in Congress, and learned that the Mary- 
land Delegates had been instructed to vote against it. Flying to Annapolis, 
while the Convention, to which he had been elected a Member, was yet in 
session, such was the effect of his eloquence, and the force of his reasoning, 
that, on the 28th of June, a new set of instructions were sent to Philadel- 
phia, abrogating the old ones, and directing the Delegates to vote for the 
Declaration, 

On the 4th of July, 1776, he was appointed a Delegate to Congress, and 
arriving too late to cast his vote in favor of the Declaration, the President 
asked him if he would sign it. " Most willingly !" was his hearty reply ; 
and his name was at once affixed to that record of patriotism and freedom. 
As there were other Carrolls, he wrote it, " Charles Carroll, of Carrollton,'' 
that the British King might know where to find him, " to answer for liis 
treason." 

He continued in Congress until 1778, served in the State Legislature for 
several years after, and from 1788 to 1791 was a member of the United 
States Senate, after wdiich, for ten years, he was in the Senate of Mai-yland. 
Foi? the remainder of his glorious life, he lived in retirement, in the enjoy- 
ment of friends, fortune, and health, in the most perfect tranquility ; and, 
on the 14th day of November, 18u2, he gently passed away, in the ninety- 
sixth year of his mortal life. 



40. THADDEUS KOSCIUSCO. 

Tiia:->di:u.s Kosciusco was born in Lithuania, Poland, in 1746. He 
V)clonj^ccl to one of the most ancient and noble families of that ill-fated 
Kinp-ilom. . 

Ho commrnocd his studies at the military school in Warsaw, and com- 
pleted his education at Paris. Here he made the acquaintance of Dr. 
Franklin, from Avhom he learned the history of our struggle for Independ- 
ence. 

Pirod with the story, his heart yearned to strike a blow for freedom, and 
ho proposed to Franklin to offer his services to AVashington. Franklin, 
struck with the noble bearing of the young Pole, gave him a letter to 
Wuslnngton, with which he immediately embarked for America. 

Presenting himself, without ceremony, at headquarters, he handed the 
letter of Franklin to Washington, who, after reading it, demanded of 
the patriotic Pole: " What do you seek here?" " I came," was his brave 
reply, "to fight as a volunteer for American Independence." "What can 
youdo?" asked his Excellency. "Try me," was the laconic reply. Chai-med 
with his frank and noble spirit, Washington immediately took him into his 
family, and made him his aid. 

The services of Kosciusco Avere invaluable to the American army, on 
account of liis great scientific attainments, and thorough knowledge of en- 
gineering, which were put into instant requisition, Congress appointing 
him engineer, with the rank of Colonel. 

He superintended the erection of works of defense at West Point, where 
a beautiful monument has been erected by the students of the military 
academy afterward established at that place. 

At the close of the war, Kosciusco returned, to fight the battles of Lib- 
erty in his native land, where liis bravery and judgment won him much 
credit. In 1794, a second revolution swept over ill-fated Poland, and Kos- 
ciusco was called to assume the helm of State, and was appointed Dictator, 
with full and uni-estricted powers. 

He verified the confidence of his friends, although he failed to secure 
liberty to his country. Russian power was too great to be successfully re- 
Bisted, and the chain was once more riveted on poor, bleeding Poland. 
Kosciusco himself, severely wounded, overpowered by numbers, was taken 
prisoner, and shut up in a Russian dungeon, while — 
" Hope, for a neason, hade the -vrorUl farewell. 
And Freedom shrieked as JCosciusco fell." 

After suffering long the horrors of a Russian prison, he was at length re- 
leased, on the accession of the Emperor Paul, loaded with honors, and offered 
a conunission in the Russian army, which honor he gracefully, but firmly, 
dfM-linrd, although the Emperor earnestly entreated him to accept, and 
off.Ted him, his own sword. " What need have I of a sword," he bitterly 
and mournfully replied, " since I have no longer a country to defend ?" 

In l/.)7 lie visited the United States, when hiuh honors Avere conferred 
on him, and a large grant of land donated to him by Congress, in considera- 
utiitu of his eminent services. 

He remained in America many years ; but, toward the close of his life, 
Jic went to Switzerland, and died there, October IG, 1817, in the sevcntv- 
Bccund year of his age. 



41. AETHUE MIDDLETON. 

Arthur Middleton was born at Middleton Place, a delightful seat on 
the Ashley River, South Carolina, in 1743. 

At the age of twelve, he was sent to England to school, and at the age of 
nineteen entered the University of Cambridge, from which he graduated, 
in 1764, an accomplished scholar. 

After traveling extensively in Europe, he returned to South Carolina, 
married, and settled on his own pleasant homestead, on the banks of the 
Ashley, in 1773. 

He took a deep interest in the discussions previous to the Declaration of 
Independence. Careless of personal consequences, he put his name, proudly 
and without hesitation, to that noble Declaration, which consecrated life, 
honor, and fortune, to Liberty, and flung defiance into the teeth of the op- 
pressor. 

He was elected to Congress in 177G, and remained in that body until 
the close of 1777, where he acquired a character for great clearness of intel- 
lect, pure patriotism, and unfaltering devotion to the holy cause in which 
he and his compeers had embarked. 

When, in 1771), South Carolina became the theatre of war, Mr. Middle- 
tons estate became the prey of the invaders. His buildings were spared ; 
but everything movable, and of any value, was carried away, or destroyed. 
His valuable library and elegant paintings were remorselessly appropriated 
by the vandals. Fortunately, he and his family escaped the ruthless hands 
of the marauders. 

During the investment of Charleston, Mr. Middleton was there, and ren- 
dered very essential aid in its defense. On its surrender, he was carried to 
St. Augixstine, a prisoner of war. 

On being exchanged, in 1781, he was immediately appointed a Delegate 
to Congress ; and again elected to the same honorable post in 1782. He 
then returned to his beloved home ; and, on the establishment of peace, de- 
clined to be elected to Congress any more, preferring to be with his family, 
from whom he had been so long separated. 

He consented to be elected, occasionally, to a seat in the Legislature of 
his State, in which he rendered good aid to the cause of education and wise 
legislation among his fellow-citizens. 

In November, 1786, he imprudently exposed himself to the inclement 
weather usual at that season, when he took a severe cold, which resulted in 
an intermittent-fever, and terminated his valuable life on the 1st of Janu- 
ary, 1787, being only forty-four years of age. 



42. TIMOTHY PICKEEING. 

Timothy rrCKERiNO was born in Salem, Massachusetts, July 17, 1745. 
At the ago of sixteen he entered Harvard Colleg-e, and graduated in 17G3. 

While in College, and after leaving it, he entered, heart and soul, into 
the discussion of those great political questions which, at that time, were 
agitating his countrymen; and the results of his labo-s are among the 
rarest and linest specimens of political literature which that fertile age 
produced. 

Previous to the commencement of hostilities, he held several important 
civil offices ; but when the sound of war echoed from Lexington and Con- 
cord through tho land, he gave up those duties, and entered the camp. He 
was elected Colonel of the Essex militia, and took much pains to instruct 
his officers and soldiers in the art of their calling. 

To Colonel Pickering it fell to head the first armed force against English 
oppression. 

On Sunday, February 2G, 1775, while the people were at church, news 
came that a British regiment was landing at Marblehead, and that they 
intended to march through Salem, in search of military stores, said to be 
secreted somewhere in the vicinity. 

The churches were instantly closed, and, with their ministers at their 
head, the congregations proceeded to the draw-bridge, raised the draw, and 
awaited the approach of Colonel Leslie and his regiment. 

Colonel Pickering, at the head of what miiiria lie could hastily summon, 
appeared as their leader on the occasion. On the arrival of Leslie, he told 
him that the stores belonged to the people, and would not be surrendered 
without a struggle. Leslie then attempted to seize on a gondola, to enable 
him to cross the stream, wlicn the owner of it, Joseph Sprague, Esq., 
jumped into the boat, knocked a hole in her bottom, and she sunk. While 
doing this, he received several slight bayonet-wounds, thus shedding the 
first blood of the Kevolution. 

By the interference of Rev. Mr. Barnard, Colonel Leslie was induced to 
abandon the project, by their allowing him to cross the draw, so that it 
might seem to bo voluntary on his part. So the draw was let down, the 
valiant Colonel and his regiment crossed, between the lines of the American 
mihtrv, countermarched, retreated to Marblehead, and set sail the same 
evemng.^^ On the ISJth of April following occurred the fight at Lexington. 
..r< • ^'o^*>nel Pickering was elected by Congress a member of the 

^ Continental Board of AV^ar ;" and the same year he received the highly- 
important appointment of Quartermaster-General, on the resignation of that 
office by (jrcnerul Greene. 

On the close of tho war, he removed to Philadelphia, and was a Member 

ot the Oonvontion called in 17U0, to revise the Constitution of Pennsylvania. 

xrom liJi to 1^94, he was Postmaster-General, under Washington ; and 

I^ ;?r"i < '''' >'*''^'" ''■''*' "^'^^^^ Secretary of War. In 1795 he was ap- 

V It if ^^^>''^' "I ^^^^^' "^'^^^^^^ ^^^e 1^« l^eld until tho election of John 
Adams to the Presidency. 

Sf.,w^"!!?'!vn-/'' ^^^j^'^^^-'^^.^^i'^etts in 1803, ho was elected to tho United States 
fin llv t f,-. i '/' "^''V? ''' ^^^^'- ^^ 1^^^ ^^c was elected to Con-ress, and 
fl?e '>yih f r "" IV^^^'^1'^•^ altogether in 1817. He died at Salem, on 

the .Jth ot January, 18-J, ui the cighty-fourth year of his age. 



' 43. EICHAED n. LEE. 

RiClTATlD Henry Lee was born in Virginia, in 1732. Of his childhood 
and yovith there is nothing special to record, except that he was sent to 
England to acquh'e an education. 

In early manhood he took a prominent part in the political agitations of 
those troublous times. His strong and patriotic heart, aided by a thorough 
classical education, gave him the position of a leader. 

To him has been ascribed the first regular attempt at resistance to 
British aggression ; though that point is not clear. In 1773, as a Member 
of the House of Burgesses of Virginia, lie proposed the formation of that 
famous "Committee of Correspondence," whose investigations and appeals 
roused, not only the hearts of Virginia, but of the whole country. 

On the assembling of the first Congress, llichard Henry Lee was there 
to represent the burghers of his own Virginia, to act and to work in the 
glorious cause to which ho and his coadjutors " pledged their lives, their 
fortunes, and their sacred honors." 

He was among the foremost who went for an open and explicit declara- 
tion of independence; and the cleai', strong, and patriotic views he so 
vehemently urg«d before that body, did much to strengthen the timid and 
irresolute, and to confirm the doubtful in their patriotism. He introduced 
that immortal resolution, " That these United Colonies are, and of right 
ought to be, free and independent States ; that they are absolved from all 
allegiance to the British crown ; and that all political connection between 
them and Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved." 

When the committee formed to draft the Declaration of Independence 
was appointed, Mr. Lee was in Virginia on account of sickness in his family, 
and thus Mr. Jeff"erson was placed at the head of that committee, which 
honor belonged, of right, to him, as the mover of the resolution. His name, 
however, stands among the signers of that immortal instrument. 

Mr. Lee resumed his seat in Consrress the next month, and continued to 
occupy it until 1779, when ill health C(mipelled him to decline the honor, 
till 1784, when he reluctantly consented to serve again. 

On taking his seat, he was unanimously called upon to preside, which ho 
did with great dignity and to the entire satisfaction of that body. 

In 1792 Mr. Leo retired altogether from public life, and two years after, 
his exhausted powers sank into the repose of death on the 19th of June, 
1794. 

The name of Eichard Henry Lee stands among the highest on the scroll 
of his country's fame. As a j)atriot, as a man, as a friend, and as an orator, 
he had f e \v equals. 

His enemies were few, while his friends were many ; and he went to his 
rest with the blessings of the multitude resting on his monument. 



vy 



44. FEANCIS HOPKINSON. 

Francis IIopkinson tvus bom in Philadelphia in 1738. Having gradu- 
ated with tlic highest honors at the College of Philadelphia, he entered at 
oiu'O upon the study of the law, in the office of the eminent jurist, Benjamin 
Clieevcr, then Attorney-General of the State of Pennsylvania, under whose 
care he went through the regular course of study for the practice of his 
profession. 

Instead of entering at once into the practice of law, he devoted himself 
to the acquaintance of elegant literature, and spent two years in England, 
storing his mind Avith scientific and classical knowledge. He used his pen 
in verse and prose, in which he manifested wit, taste, and a pure morality. 
His power of satire was very great, never letting any subject escape him 
tliat aftbrded scope for his pungent wit, which was elegant and refined. 
He never sjioke or wrote a word that would give pain to the most sensitive 
fastidiousness. He was a Member of the Continental Congress wdiich 
passed the Declaration of Independence, and his name may be found on that 
immortal document. 

When the Independence of the Colonies was at length achieved, it was 
found that the people were free, indeed, but with none of the necessary ele- 
ments of a nation. Without a currency or commerce, having no manufac- 
tures, agriculture almost wholly neglected, our desolate and deplorable condi- 
tion appalled even the hearts of those who had never yet quailed before the 
awful storm of war, which had desolated the fair face of our country. 
Francis Hopkinson was among those few brave spirits who saw the end from 
the beginning, and had never falt(!red, never doubted. Under their power- 
ful and patriotic guidance, order began to appear, and one after another of 
those glorious institutions, which are our boast and the admiration of the 
workl, were founded. 

He was an active Member of the Convention of 1787, which met in 
rhiladeli)hia to draft the United States Constitution, and also of the Con- 
vention that ratified it. 

He was appointed, by Washington, Judge of the District Court of Penn- 
sylvania in, 17U0, but did not live long to enjoy the honor or perform the 
iluty, for lie was stricken with epilepsy, and died, May 9, 1791, in the fifty- 
third year of his age. 

During the sittings of the Continental Congress he was appointed Judge 
of the Admiralty of the State of Pennsylvania, and his decisions, while in 
th:it offi<;o, frive evidence of an acute judgment and a profound acquaintance 
witli the law pertaining to that branch of legal jurisprudence, as well as 
the nicest literary acquisitions and general knowledge. 



-«^-^ 



45. BOBEET FULTON. 

KOBERT Fulton Avas born in an obsctire town of Pennsylvania in 
the year 1765, His father died when he was quite young, leaving him 
Avithout tlie means of education, and scarcely those of subsistence. 

The genius of Fulton first manifested itself in drawing and painting, 
and at seventeen wo find him in Philadelphia, not only earning his own live- 
lihood, biit supporting his widowed mother and several sisters. 

He spent all his leisure hours in the cultivation of his intellect, and 
stored up, during this time, no inconsiderable amount of solid learning. 

In 1786, just as he w^as twenty-one, he went to England, and soon found 
a home beneath the roof of his countryman, Benjamin West, between whom 
and himself a warm friendship sprang up, which death alone interrupted. 

In 1796, he went to France, where he resided seven years, studying with 
great success the French, German, and Italian languages, together with 
natural philosophy, and the higher branches of mathematics. 

It was at this time that he determined to carry his long-cherished plan 
of applying steam for the purposes of navigation into practical and useful 
effect. 

For many years steam had been used as a motive power ; but to Fulton 
belongs the credit of having made the first successful application of steam 
to this end. 

He returned to his native country in 1806, after having invented and 
niade many successful experiments with his celebrated Nautilus, or sub- 
marine boat. 

Chancellor Livingston had made some unsuccessful experiments in steam 
navigation previous to Fulton's return, and had secured to himself the 
exclusive right, from the NeAv York Legislature, to navigation " by steam or 
fire," in all the waters within the jurisdiction of the State. Having formed 
the acquaintance of Fulton in France, he felt certain that he could accom- 
plish the desired results. 

He immediately associated him in the undertaking, and procured the 
renewal of the Act for himself and Fulton for twenty years. 

After several unsuccessful experiments, which subjected them to the ridi- 
cule of the press and people, they at length succeeded in bringing their boat 
to such a degree of perfection as to advertise her to make an experimental 
trip to Albany. 

At the appointed time the wharf and shipping were lined with anxious 
spectators. Some jeered,others laughed,while few were sanguine of success. 
But w^hen at length Fulton cast off the fasts of Tlie Claremont, and she 
stemmed the current of the noble Hudson at the rate of five miles an hour, 
a sudden change took place in the anxious throng, and one universal and 
prolonged shout announced to the world " the trium'ph of Fulton ^ 

Fulton died February 24, 1815, after a short illness, in the fifty-first 
year of his age, and was buiied with civic and military honors. 



<C V 



46. WILLLIAM PINKNEY. 

William Pinkxey was born in Anapolis, Maryland, March. 17, 1765. 

With an extremely deficient early education, his personal application, 
and strong and quick natural perceptions, made up for the deficiency, and 
placed him among- the foremost of his acquaintances and friends. He first 
studied medicine ; but, feeling that it did not chime with his inclinations, 
he turned to the law, and having prepared himself for the bar under the 
instruction of Judge Cliase, he was admitted to practice in 1786. He 
removed to Harford County, where he opened an office, and immediately 
gave promise of high distinction. He was a Member of the Convention 
wliich ratified the Federal Constitution ; and from 1789 to 1792, was a 
Representative in Congress. He was then elected a Member of the Execu- 
tive Council of the State of Maryland; and, in 1795, was a Member of the 
State Legislature. 

In 1796, he was appointed by President "Washington a Commissioner of 
the United States, under the seventh article of Jay's Treaty, in conjunction 
with Mr. Gore, and remained in England eight years. 

During his residence abroad, questions of vital importance on interna- 
tional law and reciprocity, came before the Commission, on which he gave 
his written opinion, exhibiting a profound knowledge and clear apprehension 
of the subject discussed. He recovered for Maryland a claim on the Bank 
of England for $800,000. 

In 1805 ho removed to Baltimore, and was aj^pointed Attorney-General 
of Maryland. 

In 1806 he was Envoy Extraordinary to England ; and, in 1808, on the 
return of Mr. Monroe, was made Minister Plenipotentiary. He returned 
in ISll, and, the same year, was elected to the Senate of Maryland. In 
December following, he was appointed, by President Madison, Attorney- 
General of the United States, remaining in that position until 1814. 

Mr. Pinkney entered with great spirit into the controversy that grew 
out of tlie War of 1812 ; and, during the war, commanded a battalion, fight- 
ing with great bravery at the battle of Bladensburg, where he was severely 
wounded. 

He was a Representative to Congress from 1815 to 1816, and then made 
Minister to Russia, and Envoy to Naples. On his return, in 1819, he was 
elected to the United States Senate, where he exhibited his great 
knowledge, and political as well as legal acumen, in the discussions which 
took place in that body on the admission of Missouri into the Union. 

Wliilo in the Senate, several very important trials came before the 
Supremo Court of the United States, in which ho avus retained as counseh 
Ih.so demanded of him almost superhuman exertions, under the pressure 
nt winch his health yielded, and he fell a prey to an acute disease, on the 
2.jth of February, 1JS22. 

:Mr. I'iiikiK'y possessed splendid talents, was one of the brightest orna- 
ments ot the American bar, and one of the most accomplished orators and 
tiiutcsmcn of his time. 



47. BENJAMIN WEST. ' 

Benjamin West, the celebrated Painter, was born in Chester County, 
Pennsylvania, October 10, 1738. 

His parents were Quakers. His genius in the art in which he became 
so distinguished, manifested itself at the early age of six, when he drew the 
likeness of a little niece of his, who had been left in his charge in a cradle, 
which was instantly recognized by his delighted mother. She eagerly and 
fondly kissed her little boy ; and he, encouraged by such a reward, made 
rapid progress. In speaking of this incident, Mr. West used to say : " That 
kiss made me a Painter." 

Soon after, he was put to school, and furnished with pens and paper to 
amuse himself with drawing, none of his friends dreaming of any other ma- 
terial being necessary. Here he became acquainted with some Indians, 
who, being struck with the accuracy of his drawings of birds and animals, 
furnished him with the pigment with which they bedaixbed their faces, and 
taught him how to use it. To this his mother added indigo, and his studio 
was finished. 

Hearing of camelVhair pencils, he substituted the hair from his favorite 
cat, until a fortunate circumstance put him in possession of a regular pallet, 
pencils, and box of colors. 

At eight years of age, young West removed to Philadelphia, and in a 
few years attained great proficiency, under the tutelage of Provost Smith. 
His first historical piece, the " Death of Socrates," was produced about this 
time. 

In 1759, Mr. West, then just twenty-one, embarked for Italy, arriving at 
Leghorn, and thence to Rome. The journey was enjoyed by him with the 
gi-eatest zest ; and the wonderful works of art, and the rich exhibitions of 
nature, filled his soul with tumultuous wonder and delight. 

He soon made himself respected among the best artists of Rome, and 
established his reputation as a Painter of great excellence. He visited 
Florence, Bologna, and Venice, meeting with favor everywhere. 

After a brief sojourn in Rome, he went to England. He did not intend 
to remain there ; but circumstances induced him to change his j->lans, and he 
set up his easel in London. Here he was introduced to the youthful mon- 
arch, who immediately took him under his patronage. 

While i^ainting his " Departixre of Regulus," the plan of the "Royal 
Academy of Fine Arts " was adopted. Reynolds was its first President, and 
on his death, in 1791, West succeeded to the chair, and presided over the 
institution, with the exception of a brief interval, until his death, in 1820. 

Mr. West was a man of great simplicity of manners, credulous and con- 
fiding, diligent and temperate in his habits, and of a decidedly religious 
turn of mind. 

At the age of eighty-one, he closed his eyes on mortality, with his accuss- 
tomed cheerfulness, and with all his mental faculties uneclipsed. 



4S. WILLIAM WIET. 

"Willi A3I "\Vikt was born at' Bladensburg, Maryland., on the 8tb of No- 
vember, 1773. 

lie lost his parents before he -was eight years old, and his uncle, Jasper 
"Wirt, took him under his protection, and placed him at a flourishing- school 
in Montgomery County. Here he continued four years ; and, being a boy 
of brilliant mind, he made rapid progress in the rudiments of the Latin, 
Greek, and his mother tongue. Here he also acquired a taste for general 
literature, Avhich afterward proved of such great advantage, and gave such 
a charm to everything which emanated from his fertile i)en. 

Too poor to procure a classical course, at fifteen he became a Tutor, and 
afterward studied law, and commenced practice at Culpepper Court-House, 
Virginia, in 1793. 

At this time he possessed a vigorous constitution, and was blessed with 
a fine person, and an address winning in the extreme. His conversational 
powers were of the highest order. 

His first case in Court was successfully carried through, ag*ainst con- 
siderable diffi-'ulty, and immediately established his reputation as a lawyer, 
which grew f.iirer and broader as long as he lived. 

In 1705 he married the daughter of Dr. George Gilman, whose house was 
the resort of all the celebrated men ; and he became acquainted with Jeffer- 
son, Madison, Monroe, and other men of learning and eminence. 

Being brought into gay society, and possessing a convivial disposition, 
he soon became dissipated, and was fast falling into the slough of infamy, 
when he was arrested in his downward course by the subduing eloquence 
of a blind preacher, whose manner and appearance he has so graphically 
described in his " British Spy." From this time, ho devoted himself more 
untiringly to the duties of his profession. 

In 17'J0 he was elected Clerk of the House of Delegates, and, in 1803, 
Chancellor of the Eastern District of Virginia. 

In 1800 lie removed to Richmond, and greatly distinguished himself in 
the tri;il of Aaron Burr. 

In 1813 he wrote the greater part of a series of essays, under the title of 
''The Old Bachelor." The "Life of Patrick Henry," his largest literary 
production, was first published in 1817. 

In 1810 he was appointed United States Attorney for the District of 
\ irgmiii, and, in 1817, Attorney-General of the United States, which posi- 
tion ho filled with distinguished ability and success, through the adminis- 
trations of Monroe and J. Q. Adams. 

_ In 18;j0 he retired, to spend the remainder of his days, in the beautiful 
city of Baltimore. Here he lived, the object of affection, and almost venera- 
tion, in all the wide circle of his acquaintance, until near his death, which 
occurred at the capital, February 18, 1885. 

As a writer, Mr. Wirt ranked among the first of his time ; and the pro- 
(lu.;tions ot his pen sparkled with the most brilliant effusions of wit, at 
tuiics melting into inexpressible pathos and tenderness. 



49. JAMES KENT. 

Chancellor James Kent was born on the 31st day of July, 1763, in Put- 
nam County, New York. At the age of five he was sent to an English 
school at Norwalk, residing with his maternal grandfather for several years, 
and in 1773 attended a Latin school. 

In 1777 he entered Yale College, where he had hardly become domiciled, 
when the troubles of that stormy period broke up the College, and dispersed 
the students. 

During the recess he fell in with " Blackstone's Commentaries," with 
Avhich he was so pleased that he determined to devote himself to the pro- 
fession of the law. Accordingly, on leaving college, from which he gradu- 
ated with a high reputation, he commenced the study of the law, under the 
Attorney-General of the State. His natural thirst for knowledge, his great 
love of the profession, and his habits of severe application, could not fail to 
insure success, and in April, 1785, he was admitted to the bar, as Attorney 
to the Supreme Court. 

He married, and removed to Poughkeepsie, where he commenced prac- 
tice. Methodical in all his arrangements, he divided the day into six por- 
tions, devoting two heurs to each of the following: Latin, Greek, Law, 
Trench, and English; and the evening to friendship and recreation. 

Mr. Kent did not escape the entanglements of politics, bixt entered 
heartily into the great political disciissions of the day, joining the Federal 
party, and acting with Hamilton and his compeers, who always entertained 
for him the utmost respect. 

In 1790, and again in 1792, he was elected to the State Legislature. In 
the following year he removed %o the city of New York, and, in December, 
was appointed Professor of Law in Columbia College. While occupying 
this chair, in the discharge of the duties of which he displayed those vast 
stores of legal lore which he had been accumulating for years, he was hon- 
ored by the College with the degree of LL. D., and he afterward received 
the same honor, from Harvard and Dartmouth. 

In 1790 hcAvas made Master in Chancery, and in 1797 he was appointed, 
by Governor Jay, to a vacancy on the bench of the Supreme Court. 

In 1800, in conjunction with Mr. Justice Radcliff, he was appointed to 
revise the Legal Code of the State ; and in 1804 was made Chief-Justice of 
the Supreme Court, which seat he filled most honorably until 1814, v/hen 
he was appointed Chancellor. In this high ofiicc he remained until 1823, 
when, having attained the age of sixty, the Constitutional limit, he re- 
signed. 

Being now more at leisure, he revised his lectures, and gave them to the 
world, in four volumes, under the title of " Commentaries on American 
Law'- — a work which has become a text-book. From this time until his 
death, he kept up the same industrious and temperate habits which had 
marked his whole career, receiving the spontaneous respect of the intelli- 
gent and virtuous in the community in which ho lived. 

The name of Chancellor Kent is the pride and boast of the whole race of 
Knickerbockers. It forms ouo part of the great Judicial triune — Marshall, 
Story, and Kent — which reflects so much honor on the legal history of our 
country. 



50. JOHN MAESHALL. 

Ch'cf-Jiistico John Marshall was born in Fauquier County, Virginia, 
on tho 24th of September, 1755. He was a self-educated man. 

AV hen the question of American Independence was reaching its culmin- 
ating point, young Marsliall was about eighteen, and entered into its dis- 
cussion with great zeal and devotion. 

lie joined a volunteer company in order to learn the art of war, and 
made the best use of his knowledge by the training of a company of raw 
militia in his neighborhood. In 1775 he received the appointment of First 
Lieutenant in a company of Minute Men, and entered immediately into 
active service, wliere he rendered important aid in the defeat of Lord Dun- 
more, at Great Bridge, and subsequently in driving the English troops from 
Norfolk. 

In 1777 he was promoted to the rank of Captain, and figured in the 
memorable battles of Brandywine, Germantown, and Monmouth. 

On the capitulation of Cornwallis, he resumed the practice of law, which 
he had commenced in 1780. He soon rose to distinction as a lawyer, and 
was called upon to devote his acute mind to political affairs. 

In 1783 he was elected to the State Legislature, and a Memoer of the 
Executive Council the same year. 

During the agitation of the momentous questions of State and National 
policy, which lasted from the close of the \^t to the year 1800, Mr. Marshall 
was among the foremost and mightiest champions of " Liberty, Avith Order," 
and was always found on the side of Washington, Hamilton, and Madison. 

He was elected to Congress in 1799. Pending his election he was offered 
a place on the bench of the Supreme Court, but declined the honor. 

Among the bright stars of that Congressional galaxy, Mr. Marshall's 
name shines as one of the most brilliant. His acute and discriminating 
reason, liis calm and sober judgment, his fearless decision in favor of what 
he deemed to be right, and wliich so conspicuously marked his career while 
he was Chief-Justice of tho United States, were felt and confessed by all 
his noble compeers. 

In 1800 lie was nominated to tho office of Secretary of War by President 
Adams, and, notwithstanding his most veliement protestation, the nomina- 
tion was unanimously ratified by the Senate. But the rupture between 
Adams and Colonel Pickering occurring about this time, Mr. Marshall was 
ojh.Tcd and accepted the office of Secretary of State, vacated by the resigna- 
tion of I hut gentleman. He filled this important station but a short time, 
for in January, 18Ci, ho became Chief-Justice of the United States, which 
olhoo lie adorned for a period of thirty-five years. His death occurred in 
looo, at tho age of eighty-one. 



51, JOSEPH STOPvY. 

Joseph Story was bora in Marbleliead, Massaclinsetts, September 18, 
1779; graduated at Harvard College, with marked distinctioD, in 1798; 
and studii'd law with Judge Putnam, of Salem. He entered early into 
political life, and was sent to the General Court for several years as rep- 
resentative from Salem, and presided over that body for a length of time. 
In 1803 he was elected to Congress, to fill a vacancy, and served with dis- 
tinction, but declined a re-election. 

In 1811 he was appointed by President Madison a Judge of the Su- 
preme Court of the United States, which office he held until his death. 

For sound legal learning; for deep, discriminating sagacity; for un- 
swerving rectitude— tlicse important prerequisites in a Judge— no one 
was his superior. The wisdom of the selection was immediately indi- 
cated by the distinguished ability which he displayed, and each succeed- 
ing year added to the splendor and extent of his judicial fame. He 
moved with familiar steps over every province and department of juris- 
prudence. 

All branches of the law have been enlarged by his learning, acute- 
ness, and sagacity ; and of some he has been the creator. 

His imniortal judgments contain copious stores of ripe and sound 
learning, which w^ill be of inestimable value in all future times— alike to 
the judge, the practitioner and the student. 

in 1829 he was appointed Dane Professor of Law, in the Law School 
of Hirvard University ; and removed from Salem to Cambridge, whero 
he resided until his death, September 10, 1845. 

B jth in his professoi-ship, and in his office of Justice of the Supreme 
Court, Mr. Story was a diligent student and laborious writer. His ex- 
tended reputation drew multitudes from all parts of the country to the 
school; and to his untiring energy is to be attributed its great success. 
As a teacher of jurispriuleuce, he brought to the important duties of the 
professor's chair the most unwearied patience, a native delight in the 
great subjects which he expounded, a copious and j>ersuasive eloquence, 
and a contagious enthusiasm, which filled his pupils with love for the 
law, and for the master who taught it so well. 

He was always instructive and interesting ; and rarely without pro- 
ducing an instantaneous conviction. 

He published many valuable works on questions of law and equity, 
delivered addresses before various societies, eulogies on eminent men, and 
contributed to some of the best literary and scientiflc journals of the day. 
Whatever subject he touched w\as touched Avith a master's hand and 
spirit 



52. WILLIAM MOULTEIE 

General '\ViLLTA>r Moultiue, one of the bravest of South Carolina's 
sons, was born in IToO. 

At the age of thirty he entered the service of his country as a volunteer 
au'ainst the'^Clierokce Indians, whose marauding parties had inspired the 
Southern settlements with terror. Men, Avomen, and children were savagely 
murdered and carried into captivity, to be barbarously tormented for a sea- 
son, and then dispatched at the stake, or by the edge of the tomahawk. 

Tliis campaign was unsuccessful, as was the second under Colonel Mont- 
gomery, in whicii Moultrie again served as a volunteer. The Indians, flying- 
to their impenetrable fastnesses, eluded pursuit, and were ready, at a 
moment's warning, to sally forth again on their work of devastation and 
death. 

In 17G1, a third expedition, in which he served as Captain, was more suc- 
cessful. The Indians were humbled, and glad to sue for peace. 

Captain Moultrie was among the first and foremost of those who asserted 
the rights of the Colonists against the aggressions of the parent country, 
and who " stirred up the people to mutiny." On the commencement of 
liostilities ho was already engaged in active service, having been appointed 
by the Provincial Congress, on the ever-memorable 17th of June, 1775, a 
Colonel in the second of the two regiments voted to be raised by that body. 

To him belongs the honor of raising the first American flag — a device of 
his own — being " blue, with a wdiite crescent in the dexter corner." 

His first service was his gallant defense of Sullivan's Island, on which a 
fort liad been erected, and to whicli was given, subsequently, the name of 
its heroic defender, " Foi't Moultrie." 

From this time until 1780, he served in the Southern army under General 
Lincoln, during Avhich he rose to the grade of Major-General. 

He was taken prisoner at the fall of Charleston, where he fought against 
fearful odds for more than a month. 

While a prisoner of war, the British attempted to bribe him through 
Lord Charles Montague. "When I entered into this contest," was his patriotic 
reply, " I did it with the most mature deliberation and a determined resolu- 
tion to risk my life and fortune in the cause. I shall continue to go on as I 
have begun, that my example may encourage the youths of America to 
stand forth in the defense of their rights and liberties. You tell me I have 
a fair opening of quitting that service by going to Jamaica. Good God ! 
Js ilpossilAe that mch a sentiment could find place in the breast of a man of 
honor ? You tell me that by quitting the country for a season I might av^oid 
disagreeable conversations, and return again at leisure to regain my estates ; 
but you forget to tell me how I am to get rid of the feelings of an injured, 
lonest heart. "\\ here am I to hide from myself P Could I be guilty of such 
baseness, I should shun mankind, and hate myself! " 

Ho was exchanged in 1782 ; and, after the war, retired to his estates in 
• "I-.m" - iV' '^'"^ ^'''^■'^ elected Governor of that State in 1785-0, and again 
in I'J^o. He died on the 27th of September, 1805, in the seventy-fifth 
year of Ins age. i. j > j 

Several years before his death. General Moultrie wrote and published the 
memoirs of the war in the South during the revolution, in nearly all of 



which scenes he took an active and glorious par* 



53. ANTHONY WAYNE. 

General Anthony Wayne — "Mad Anthony," as he was familiarly- 
called in the army, on account of his reckless and headlong courage — was 
born in Chester County, Pennsylvania, January 1, 1745. 

He never had much taste for severe study, although he took kindly to 
mathematics ; and, at the age of eighteen, entered upon the business of sur- 
veying. 

In 1775 the first wish of his heart was gratified by a military commission. 
He then raised a regiment of volunteers, and was chosen its Colonel. Join- 
ing the Northern army, in 1777, he was appointed to the command of Ticon- 
deroga, afterward joined Washington in New Jersey. 

While the winter quarters were at Valley Forge, he was sent on a forag- 
ing expedition, which duty he performed to the delight of his commander 
and the surprise of the enemy, from under whose very nose he succeeded in 
carrying off large supplies of cattle and forage. 

It was on this expedition and its leader that the witty Andre employed 
the satire of his pen in a song set to the music of Yankee Doodle, the 
last stanzas of which ran thus : 

" But now I end my lyric strain, 
I tremble as I show it, 
Lest this same warrior-drover Wayne 
Should ever catch the poet." 

Singular enough, when Andre was taken, he was delivered into the handg 
of this same " warrior-drover." 

The next we find of Wayne was at Stony Point, which ho assaulted and 
carried. In the assault he received a shot in the knee, and fell. Rising 
instantly on one knee he exclaimed : "Forward, my brave ieWows— for ward P^ 

In 1781, the Pennsylvania army revolted and determined to march to 
Congress and present their grievances. Wayne, finding he could not pro- 
duce any effect by kind words, drew his pistol and swore he would shoot 
the first man who moved. The soldiers presented their muskets and said : 
" We respect and love you. You have often led us to the battle-field ; but 
you are our leader no longer. Dare but to discharge your pistol and you are 
a dead man. We are still attached to the cause, and are ready to meet the 
enemy in the breach ; but we will have redress." They were dismissed 
with disgrace for their insubordination. 

Wayne then went to Virginia and was at the capture of Cornwallis. 
After Kome unimportant service rendered at the South, he retired to private 
life. 

The Indians on our Northwestern frontier, aided by the British and tories, 
soon became insolent and committed the most wanton ravages and cruelties 
on that border ; Harmer, St- Clair, and other brave officers yielding to 
their savage j)rowess. 

In 1792 Wayne was appointed to the command of the Northwestern 
army. After much maneuvering, he succeeded in bringing the enemy to bat- 
tle, and routed them with immense slaughter, the Indian force being twice 
that of his own. This brought the savages to their senses, and they soon 
after — August 3, 1795 — signed a treaty of peace. 

In the winter of 179G, in a small hut at Presque Isle, this veteran war- 
rior breathed his last in the arms of his officers, and was buried on the shores 
of Lake Erie. 



54. JOHN" STAEK. 

Gereral John Stark, the hero of Bennington, was born in Londonderry, 
now Manchester, New Hampshire, on the 28th of August, 1728. 

At a very early age, he, together with his three brothers, became quite 
f-imous as trappers and hunters. On one occasion in 1752, having followed 
his vocation far into the wilderness, he was taken prisoner by the Indians, 
with whom he suffered incredible hardships. He was after a while redeemed 
at a great price, and returned home. 

In 17oG he was chosen Captain under the famous Major Robert Rogers. 
This was the school in which not only John Stark learned the practice of 
war, but many others on the borders of New Hampshire were thus prepared 
to dare and overcome the power of England. 

When the first blood was spilt at Concord and Lexington, he hastened 
with his trained band to Cambridge, and was commissioned Colonel. The 
name day eight hundred men enlisted to serve under him. He was at the 
battle of Bunker Hili, and occupied the bloodiest position on that memorable 
occasion. He was afterward ordered to New York, and was at the battles 
of Trenton and Princeton, where he manifested that heroism, courage, and 
prudence which were so conspicuous afterward at Bennington. 

He threw up his commission for some slight of Congress, and returned 
to his native State, whose Legislature voted him. thanks for his services, and 
sent him to oppose the progress of Burgoyne,with the command of a brigade. 
He soon found himself at the head of a considerable army, and forthwith 
ccTmmenced operations by marching to Bennington, Vt., where he met the 
enemy ; and, after some sharp skirmishing, on the IGth day of August, 1777, 
he gained that splendid victory which made his name and Bennington 
famous. 

As they were about to commence the attack, General Stark called his 
" Green Mountain Boys " into a hollow-square, and thus addressed them : 
" Boys ! There's the enemy, lliey must be heat, or Molly Stark must sleep 
a widow this night ! Forward, boys— i/«rc/i r With an enthusiasm sel- 
dom equaled, they went into the iight, determined to win, and they came oil 
victoricms. 

For these important services, Congress voted General Stark their grateful 
thanks, and commissioned him Brigadier-General in the Continental army ; 
and, joining Gates, he rendered efficient aid in the destruction of that 
splendid army which laid down its arms to the American commander, at 
Saratoga. 

In 1779 he served in Rhode Island. In 1780 he was with Washington 
at Morristown, and fought in the battle of Sprino:field. He was also a mem- 
ber of the court-martial that sentenced Major Andre to be hanged. 

He continued in the service till 1783, when he carried the news of peace 
to Ins native colony, now a State. Henceforth he declined public employ- 
ment, and retired to private life, enjoying the blessings of peace and quiet 
to the great age of ninety-tliree, dying May 8, 1822. 

A granite shaft marks the place of his interment, on the east bank of the 
Memmac at Manchester, N. II., bearing the simple inscription, " Major- 



55. RICHARD MONTGOMERY. 

General Richard ]\IoNTGO]vrEiiY was bom iu the north of Ireland, iu 
1737. Possessed of a briiliaut genius and cultivated mind, he entered the 
English service at the age of twenty, wiUi considerable eclat. He fought 
side by side with Wolf, at the taking of Quebec — a place so singularly 
destined to witness his first and last battle. 

On his return to England he decided to make his home in America; 
and, manying a daughter of Robert R. Livingston, he settled on the 
banks of the Hudson, as an American citizen. On the breaking out of 
the Revolution he took sides with his adopted comitry, and became a de- 
voted patriot. 

With a brigadier's commission he joined the expedition against Que- 
bec, in the winter of 1775, under Gen. Schuyler, where he soon took com- 
mand, in consequence of the illness of his superior, and was honored with 
a major-general's commission. In this arduous campaign his brilliant 
military talents fully developed themselves. With an army half-clad, 
half-fed, shoeless, and nearly destitute of artillery ; in midwinter, in the 
severest weather, it required the genius, the prompt and noble daring, of 
Montgomer}^, to lead such a forlorn hope to victory. Thrice — at St. 
Johns, atChambly,and at Montreal — had his undisciplined and mutinous 
troops achieved a victory through the genius of their leader ; and it only 
wanted that Quebec should be added to make the list of his conquests 
complete. 

Everything combined to oppose his success. Whole companies de- 
serted ; others became mutinous and difficult to control. The snow had 
been piled in large drifts, and the cold intense. Yet nothing cooled the 
ardor ol Montgomery. On the last day of the year, between the hours 
of four and five in the morning, in the midst of a heavy snow storm, he 
caused the attack to commence ; encouraging his men with the memora- 
ble words : " Men of New York, you will not fear to follow your general ! 
March !" He had already passed the first barrier, when the single dis- 
charge of a cannon, loaded with grape, proved fatal to him, killing at the 
same time several of his officers, who stood near him. The death of 
Montgomery was the token of defeat, and shortly afterward the army 
surrendered. A monument was erected by Congress, in front of St. Pauls 
Church, New Y ork city, with the following inscription : 



MONUMENT WAS ERECTED BY ORDER OF CONGRESS, 

TWENTY-FIFTH OF JANUARY, 1776, 

To transmit to posterity a grateful remembrance of the patriotic 
conduct, enterprise, and perseverance, of 

Major-General RICHARD MONTGOMERY, 

Who, after a series of successes amidst the most discouraging 
difficulties, 

MU in the attach on Quebec, 31sJ December^ 1775, 

Aged 37 years. 



56. FEANCIS MAEION. 

General Fii.vxcis Makiox — the brave, chivalrous, glorious old Marion, 
whose feats of arms remind one of the gallant old chevaliers in the times of 
the Crusade— was born at Wingam, near Georgetown, South Carolina, in 
17JO_t]ie natal 3'ear of Wasliington. 

His father was poor ; hence his education was sadly neglected. Having 
acquired a passion for the sea, at the age of sixteen he cured himself of it, 
by making a trip to the West Indies, in which he suffered shipwreck, and 
barely escaped with his life, in a state of starvation. 

In 1759 he entered the service of the State against the Indians, in Cap- 
tain Moultrie's company of horse, Avhere he is described as an active, brave, 
and hardy soldiei*, and an excellent officer. 

In 17f5 he was chosen to the Provincial Congress of South Carolina, 
from St. John's. While a Member of that body, the news of the battle of 
Lexington arrested their proceedings, as it was like a flake of lire thrown 
into a magazine. 

Instantly, with that prompt patriotism which ever distinguished this 
chivalrous State, it was resolved to raise two regiments of infantry and one 
of cavalry, Marion receiving the commission of Captain in the cavalry, 
under the command of General Moultrie. 

At the affair at Sullivan's Island, he acted as Major, and for his bravery 
and coolness on tliat occasion, he was raised to a Colonelcy. 

He was with Lincoln and D'Estang in Georgia, and retired with Lin- 
coln to South Carolina, after their defeat. 

At the siege and capture of Charleston, he was prevented from taking 
part in the operations by an injury received in his leg. Before he had 
quite recovered, he made his way to Virginia, joined General Gates' army, 
and became aid to General De Kalb. 

The fatal battle of Camden soon followed, and Marion, with a handful 
of thirty men, escaped. With these brave companions he determined to 
commence a partisan warfare, which was one of the most brilliant and 
romantic ever recorded by the pen of the historian. 

His first exploit was to capture a British guard of ninety men, which 
had charge of two hundred American prisoners, whom he set at liberty. 
He then cut up a party of tories of forty-nine men, and took their ammuni- 
tion, baggage, arms, and horses, without the loss of a man. 

During the bloody and disgraceful march of Cornwallis, whose track 
bore such horrible marks of cruelty, he and his braves did the country great 
service, in cutting off supplies and harrassing the enemy's operations, until 
Cornwallis was shut up in Yorktown, and afterward captured. 

In 1782 he was chosen S nator to the State Legislature, but soon retired 
to his plantation at St. John's, married, and spent the rest of his days in 
domestic peace, He died February 27, 1795. 



57. NATHANIEL GEEENE. 

General NATHANIEL Greene was born in Warwick, Khode Island, in 
1743, of Quaker parents. 

He early manifested a love of learning ; and, by his own unaided efforts, 
he laid in a good stock of general and scientific knowledge, and acquired a 
tolerable acquaintance with Latin, while he was yet a mere stripling ; and 
a strong military taste was awakened in him by the stories of war, which 
fired his youthful imagination. 

At a very early ago he was sent to the Legislature of his native State. 
When the battle of Lexington sent the electric spark of freedom through 
the country, Greene, at the head of three regiments of soldiers, over whom 
he had been chosen Major-General. hastened to Cambridge, where he was 
speedily joined by Washington, Gates, Reed, and others, ready " to do and 
die " for the just and holy cause. 

Accepting from Congress a commission of Brigadier-General, he accom- 
panied the army to New York, and in the battles of Trenton and Princeton 
greatly distinguished himself. 

He was, in this part of the country, acting with Washington and Sulli- 
van, until he superceded General Gates in command of the Southern army. 
Here, for the first time, he was in supremo command, and here his genius 
became manifest, leading him through weakness to strength, through defeat 
to victory, and through disaster to glorj'. 

Having recruited his oft-defeated, worn-out, and dispirited army, he 
commenced operations. 

The brilliant affair of the Cowpens, where the lion-hearted Morgan first 
broke the English prestige, was the auspicious entree to this last glorious 
campaign. 

On the 15th of March, 1781, he met the foe, and fought the battle of 
Guilford with Cornwallis. Although defeated, the victory was a dear one 
to the English, 

After several unsuccessful fights, he was compelled once more to retire, 
recruit, and march once more to victory, with that noble resolve on his lius 
and in his bosom : " / iDill recover South Carolina, or die in tlie attempt T 

After declining to meet General Greene at Orangeburg, the enemy was 
compelled to fight at Eutaw Springs, where they were defeated, with the loss 
of eleven hundred men, while our own loss was only half that number. 

This broke the power of George III iu South Carolina, and Cornwallis 
was soon after compelled to surrender. 

After the war. General Greene removed to Georgia, having an estate 
near Savannah. Here he died of coup-de-soleil, on the 19th day of June, 
1786, in the forty-fourth year of his age. 



>5 r 



58. ALEXANDER CLAXTON. 

Commodore Alkxandeii Claxton was born in Philadelphia, in 1792. 
His I'ltiier removed to Washington Avhen that city became the seat of 
government, in 1800. 

In 180l> young- CUixton received an appointment as Midshipman in the 
navy, and was forthwith ordered to the frigate C?iesapea!\:e, and was on that 
vessel when it was overhauled by the Leopard. The only gun fired from the 
Chestipeake in the encounter, was the one at which young Claxton was 
stationed. 

On the declaration of war, in 1812, Claxton was commissioned Lieutenant, 
and ordered to the Wasp, Captain Jacob Jones, and was in the action which 
resulted in the capture of H. B. M. sloop-of-war Frolic, Captain Wingate. 
The gallantry of the young Lieutenant was particularly commended by 
Captain Jones. 

The Wasp and her prize were captured by the British seventy-four gun 
ship PoicUers, and carried into Bermuda. 

After the exchange of prisoners, which was soon effected. Captain Jones 
and his offiiiers were ordered to the frigate Macedonian ; but, being block- 
aded in New London, the entire crew and officers were transferred to Perry's 
squadron on Lake Erie. 

We next hear of Lieutenant Claxton as second in command, under Com- 
modore Porter, at the " Battle of the White House," ten miles below Wash- 
ington, where an ineffectual attempt was made to stop the return of the 
Etiglish squadron down the Potomac, after the burning of the city of 
Washington. 

For his gallantry in the action between the Wa&p and Frolic, Lieutenant 
Claxton was voted the thanks of Congress, the privilege of the floor of both 
Houses, and a silver medal. 

In 18 IG ho was ordered to the command of the schooner Nonesuch. From 
that time until 1830 he served in command of various vessels, in different 
pirtsof the world; and, on the 12th of March of that year, he hoisted his 
broad pennant on board the frigate Constitution, the flag-ship of the squadron 
then ordered to the Pacific coast. 

Ho remained in command of that squadron until his death, which oc- 
curred at Talcahuana, on the 8th of March, 1841, at the early age of forty- 
nine years. 

In private life. Commodore Claxton was most esteemed. His frank and 
open manner was a passport to all hearts, while his many virtues endeared 
him to a host of warm and devoted friends. 

A fitting tribute to the memory of this gallant officer is embodied in a 
work, entitled " Old Ironsides," the author of which, sailed under him. 



59. STEPHEN DECATUE. 

Commodore Stephen Decatur was born on the eastern shore of Mary 
land, on the 5th day of January, 1779. He entered the navy as a Mid^ship- 
man ; and, after passing through the several grades, we find him, in 1803, at 
the age of twenty-four, a Lieutenant in Commodore Preble's squadron, then 
acting against Tripoli. On the Slst of October, 1803, the frigate Philadel- 
phia, under Captain Bainbridge, having ran upon a reef of rocks, was cap- 
tured by the Tripolitans; and early in February following. Lieutenant 
Decatur, in command of the schooner Intrepid, Avith seventy-six men, 
entered the harbor of Tripoli, ran alongside the Philadel'pliia, leaped 
aboard, killed twenty men, drove the rest into the sea, set it on fire under 
the very muzzle of the guns of the Turkish batteries, and succeeded in 
getting out of the harbor without losing a single man. 

He afterwai'd captured, in a gallant fight, the British frigate Macedonian^ 
October 25, 1812 ; and, when subsequently cooped up in the Thames 
River, in Conuecticut, sent a challenge to the commander of the British 
squadron, to jpit the two frigates. United States and Macedonian, with any 
two frigates in the English fleet, which honor, however, was declined. 

His subsequent negotiations with Tripoli, where he had been sent to 
adjust some important matters, resulted gloriously to the G-overnment under 
whose orders he had sailed, and whose flag he went to vindicate. 

In all the leading acts of his gallant life, as well as many of minor 
account, Decatur exhibited the greatest talents for a naval leader, and 
wreathed for his brow a chaplet of renown which the world shall honor, and 
his countrymen glory in, until " the sword shall be beaten into ploughshares, 
and the spear into a pruning hook," 

A nobler or a braver man never trod the planks of a man-of-war's decks 
than Stephen Decatur, while his cool sagacity and clear-headedness were 
fully equal to his courage. 

It would be well if we could here drop the pen of record, and draw the 
veil of oblivion over his tragic end. 

On the 27th of June, 1807, Commodore Barron, who was in command of 
the Chesapeake, having refused to give up four men, claimed by the Eng- 
lish as deserters, his vessel was fired into by the British ship Leopard. Being 
unconscious of danger at the time, and unprepared for the attack, the 
Chesapeake struck her colors, and the four men were transferred to the 
British vessel. Commodore Barron was court-martialed, and suspended for 
several years. Decatur superseded him in the command of the Chesapeake, 
and five years later, when the War of 1812 broke out, he decidedly and 
openly opposed the reinstatement of Barron. From that moment an enmity 
was established between them, which time only served to strengthen, and 
which led to many hard words on either side, and, in 1819, to a correspon- 
dence between them, which only precipitated matters, and ended in a chal- 
lenge. Both gentlemen professed to reprobate dueling ; yet such was their 
mutual hatred, that neither would offer conciliation, although the friends 
of both did what was in their power to prevent the dreadful result. On a 
raw, chilly morning, in March, 1820, these brave men, who had fought side 
by side for glory and their country, met in mortal combat on the field of 
Bladensburg, so famous for its unholy and bloody sacrifices to false honor. 
The combatants took their ground, each fired at the same instant, and each 
received the ball of his antagonist. Barron was very dangerously, and 
Decatur mortally, wounded. The latter was carried to Washington, and 
borne to his home. Until then, his wife was ignorant of the matter. Her 
distractions were heart-rendinsr, and the whole city was shrouded in gloom. 
He died of his wound, March 22, 1820. 



60. J. PAUL JONES. 

Commodore John Paul Joxes was born in the South of Scotland, near 
the Frith of Solway, on the 6th of July, 1747. 

At the early age of six or eight he used to be seen rigging out his mimic 
fleet of chips, and giving imperious commands to imaginary sailors engaged 
in bloody naval fights. 

At twelve he entered the merchant marine service ; and, purchasing his 
indentures at eighteen, he became master of a brig engaged in the Ameri- 
can slave trade, Avhich he soon left in disgust. 

In his voyages young Paul had made several visits to the American con- 
tinent ; and, in 1773, having occasion to reside in Virginia while the estate 
of an elder brother, recently deceased, was being settled, he became 
enamored of the country, and resolved to make it his own. 

The stirring times of the Hevolution roused him from his repose, and 
decided him to engage in the contest for Freedom with the Colonists. 

In 1775 we find him at the head of the list of first-class Lieutenants. 

As subordinate in the Alfred and commander in the Providence he sig- 
nalized himself as a brave and sagacious officer. He is said to have been " the 
first man that ever ran up the Stars and Stripes to masthead." 

As commander of the Ranger he sailed to Brest, and obtained a salute to 
his flag from ',he French — the first that was ever accorded to it. 

By superhuman effort he obtained an old ship from the French, which 
he named th'? Bon Homme Richard, in compliment to Dr. Franklin, whose 
assistance h?d largely contributed to his success. 

As Capt-'in, he put to sea with a fleet of ueven vessels, hoisting the ^^^^ 
upon the lion Homme Richard. To the terror of the Engli»h, he cruised 
along their coasts, entering their rivers and harbors, taking prizes and men, 
and burning ships. 

On the 2od of September, 1779, ho fought by moonlight his celebrated, 
and by f?.r his most bloody and successful, battle Avith the British frigate 
iSa-ap/.s, in size, men, and metal, greatly superior to his own ship. This 
splendid victory gave the crowning erlat to one of the most brilliant cruises 
that the ■;N'orld had ever witnessed, and dazzled all Europe, filling America 
Avith joy and pride. 

After many sharp conflicts with the enemy, daring exploits, and hair- 
breadth escapes, he reached Philadelphia in the winter of 1781, vhere he Avas 
received with many marks of distinction, and Congress voted him thanks. 

Or. the chi'^e of the war. Commodore Jones passed the rest of his life in 
important public service abroad, and died, at Paris, on the 18th of Julv, 1792. 



61. WILLIAM BAINBEIDGE. 

Commodore "William Bainbridge was bom at Princeton, Ne-w Jersey, 
May 7, 1774. He received his education in a common school. At sixteen 
he entered the mercantile business, and went to sea in the employment of a 
house in Philadelphia. He was in the merchant service till 1798, when, on 
the commencement of hostilities with France, our Government appointed 
him to the command of the United States schooner Retaliation, of fourteen 
guns, with the rank of Lieutenant in the navy. 

In 1800 he was promoted to the rank of Captain, and sailed in the frigate 
George Washington with presents to the Dey of Algiers. 

War being declared, while he was at Algiers, against France, and all the 
citizens of France ordered to quit the country. Captain Bainbridge received 
them all on board his frigate ; and, having landed them at Alicante, sailed 
for Philadelphia, where he arrived in April, 1801. 

In June following, he took command of the frigate Essex, and proceeded 
to the Mediteranean to protect our commerce against Tripolitan depreda- 
tions. 

In 1803 he Avas placed in command of the frigate Philadelphia, and joined 
Commodore Preble's squadron. While chasing a strange vessel he ran upon 
a reef of rocks, where his vessel was captured by the enemy and carried into 
the harbor, and where she laid, until recaptured and burned, by Decatur, 
in February, 1804. 

On the breaking out of the war with England, in 1812, he held command 
of the Constellation; but on the arrival of the Constitution, he took charge of 
that frigate, and, in a short time, made his name and his ship famous in 
the bloody conflict with the British frigate Jaiui, Captain Lambert, which 
he captured with the loss of only nine men. Finding it was impossible to 
bring the Java to the United States, she was blown up, and her crew set 
ashore at St. Salvador, on parole. 

This was the second frigate this noble ship had destroyed in a short time ; 
and, from the little damage she had sustained in her numerous conflicts 
with the enemy, she received the subriquet of " Old Ironsides,^' a name 
which awakens a thrill of national pride in the bosom of every American 
sailor who loves to see the " Stars and Stripes " floating at his masthead. 

At the close of the war. Commodore Bainbridge sailed once more to the 
Mediterranean, in command of the Columbus, seventy-four guns. This was 
the last cruise of this gallant naval officer, after which he retired from the 
sea altogether. 

On his return home he commanded for several years, at different naval 
stations, and was also one of the Board of Naval Commissioners. 

He died in Philadelphia, July 27, 1833. 



62. ISAAC HULL. 

Commodore Isaac Hull, the glorious commander of '* Old Ironsides," 
whose name -will be forever associated with one of the grandest naval ex- 
ploits in the War of lbl3, Avas born in Derby, Connecticut, in 1775. 

AVhile yet a boy, he left his school and went to sea, shipping on board a 
merchant-vessel employed in the London trade. 

In 1800 he was appointed as Fir^t Lieutenant to the frigate Constitution. 
While on his first voyage, he cut out a French letter-of-marque at one of 
the St. Domingo Islands, and bore off his prize triumphantly, without the 
loss of a single man. 

In 1804 he was promoted to the rank of Captain, and appointed to the 
Argus, one of the vessels belonging to the squadron under Decatur, destined 
to act against the Barbary States. 

At the storming of Tripoli and the reduction of Deccan, he distinguished 
himself. 

In 1812 a new field of action opened itself to American glory, and Cap- 
tain Hull was appointed to the command of " Old Ironsides," and imme- 
diately putting to sea, he shortly after fell in with a British squadron, from 
which he succeeded in making his escape, exciting the wonder of his 
enemies by his superior seamanship, and the admiration and gratitude of 
the American nation. 

Not long after, he fell in with the British frigate Guerriere, Captain 
Dacres, and, after several hours' hard fighting, captured her, although she 
was of greatly superior size, force, and metal, to his own ship. The prize 
was in a sinking condition, and Hull received all the prisoners on the Con- 
stitution, and set sail for Boston, where he arrived in safety. 

The moral effect of this victory can hardly be conceived. It gave the 
nation hope, and inspired confidence in our navy. The Constitution was 
severely handled, but through the energy of her officers, she was in a few 
days prepared to give battle to another frigate. 

After the war, he commanded in the Pacific and Mediterranean, and 
enjoyed the rank of Captain for thirty-seven years. 

The deep gratitude of his countrymen has never been withdrawn ; and 
the modesty with which he bore his clustering honors became him as well 
as those honors themselves. 

"■ He did not, in the midst of the continuous praise that followed him, 
yield to a single suggestion of wrong, nor presume, for a moment, upon the 
hold wliich he had on the affections of the nation. Every day of his life 
pccmcd to be spent as if he felt that that day had its special duty, which, if 
not performed, would leave incomplete his honors, and, perhaps.'tarnish the 
laurels ho had already acquired. Hence, day by day, he earned new titles 
to public affection ; and, as a man, a patriot', and an officer, he grew in the 
esteem of his fellow-countrymen. And the last days of his life saw his 
laurels as fresh as when they were first woven into a chaplet for his brow." 
_ He died, at his residence in Philadelphia, on the 13th of February, 1843, 
m the bixty-ninth year of his age. 



63. OLIYEE H." PEEBY. 

Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, the " Hero of Lake Erie," was 
bom in Newport, Rhode Island, in August, 1785. 

He was entered as a Midshipman in the United States Navy when ho 
■was twelve years old, and accompanied his squadron to the Mediterranean 
during the Tripolite "War, where his urbanity and a quick apprehension of 
his duties secured the decided approval of his superiors. 

At the beginning of the War of 1812, young Perry was ordered to the 
command of a flotilla of gun-boats, in the harbor of New York, with the 
grade of Lieutenant. Disgusted with this dull service, he was, at his own 
request, transferred to the Lakes, and soon stationed, by Commodore 
Chauncey, on Lake Erie. Here his free and active spirit had full scope ; 
and, as commander of a squadron, which he was instrumental in creating, 
he fought one of the most brilliant naval battles on record, and won for 
himself a renown deathless as the name of the inland sea whose shores 
echoed to the booming of his victorious cannon. For this action, Congress 
voted him thanks. 

At the beginning of the fight, the fire of the enemy was directed, prin- 
cipally, against his flag-ship, the Laicrence, which, in a short time, became 
an unmanageable wreck, having all her men, except four or five, killed or 
wounded. He then left her, and transferred his flag to the Niagara, which, 
passing through the enemy's line, poured successive broadsides into five of 
their vessels, at half pistol-shot, and at 4 o'clock every vessel of the enemy 
had surrendered. 

Intelligence of the victory was conveyed to General Harrison in the fol- 
lowing laconic epistle : " We have met the enemy, and they are ours !" 

The British having been driven from the Lakes, Commodore Perry was 
ordered to the command of a small naval force on the Potomac, to aid in 
the defense of the capitol. 

In 1815 he was appointed to the command of the frigate Java, and sailed 
with Decatur's squadron to the Mediterranean, to humble the Dey of Al- 
giers, which was successfully accomplished. 

On his return, and while his ship was lying at Newport, information 
was brought that a merchant-ship was in a perilous position on the reef, six 
miles below. It was mid-winter ; but, immediately manning his boat, and 
cheering his men with, " Come, boys, we go to resciie the shipwrecked 
mariner !" he succeeded in rescuing eleven of his fellow-beings from a 
watery grave. 

In 1819 he sailed for the West Indies, under sealed orders, to take com- 
mand of that station, where he early f(;ll a victim to the ravages of the 
yellow-fever. His death occurred August 23, 1820. 

In person, Commodore Perry was elegant and imposing, with an easy 
address, which made him a favorite with all classes. He rarely failed of 
success in his plans, so carefully did he calculate beforehand all chances and 
mischances. 



^ r 



G4. JAMES LAWEENCE. 

Captain James Lawrence, the -'Hero of the ChesapeaKe," and the 
" Pet of the Navy," as he was sometimes called, was born in Burlington, New- 
Jersey, October 1, 1781. 

"Wiien quite young-, he studied law; but his predilection for the sea, 
induced him to leave it, and study navigation preparatory to entering the 
navy. He received a Midshipman's commission at the age of seventeen ; 
after which, he joined the ship Ganges, and made his first eventful cruise to 
the West Indies. 

On his return he was promoted to a Lieutenantcy, and assigned to the 
John Adams, and afterwards as first ofiicer of the Enterprise, in the squadron 
under Decatur, destined to act against Tripoli, where he exhibited great 
nautical skill. 

In 1808 he was appointed First Lieutenant of the Constitution, after 
which ho succeeded, consecutively, to the command of the Vixen, TFasp, 
Arrjus, and Hornet. 

In 1812, on the opening of hostilities, he took command of the sloop-of-war 
Hornet, in the squadron under Commodore Bainbridge, which sailed for 
the East Indies. When off the coast of Brazil, the Hornet got separated 
from the squadron, and fell in with the English brig Resolution, which he 
captured. Twenty-five thousand dollars were found on the prize. 

Soon after, occurred that terrible action of the Hornet with the ship Pea- 
cock, in Avhich the loss of the English was enormous, while the Hornet lost 
but one man. 

In 1813, Captain Lawrence was ordered by Congress to join the frigate 
Cliesapeake, then lying in Boston harbor. With a crew of newly-enlisted 
men, partly foreigners, he hastily put to sea on the 1st day of June, in 
search of the British frigate Shannon, which, with a select crew, had 
recently appeared upon the coast, challenging any American frigate of equal 
size to meet her. 

On the same day, the two vessels met, and engaged with great fury. On 
the discharge of the first broadside, our hero received a severe wound, but 
insisted on remaining on the quarter-deck. 

A few moments after, he received a ball from the main-top of the enemy's 
Bhip, and was obliged to be carried below. As he was being taken away, he 
issued his last heroic order, "Don't give up the ship!"— words that have been 
consecrated to his memory, and which have become the motto of the Ameri- 
can navy. 

When ho arrived at the cock-pit, the surgeon hastened to help him; 

l! v' '""^^""^"« ^'^"^ 'i^v'^y' 1»G exclaimed, in a noble spirit of unselfishness: 

iNo. ^5e^ve those, who came before me, first; I can wait my turn." He 

lingered until the 5th of the month, when he expired in the tbirty-third 

year of his ago. *' 



65. JOHN KANDOLPH. 

John Randolph, '•' of Roanoke," as he used to "WTite his own name, 
and distinguished for his genius and talents, as for his eccentricities, was born 
in Virginia, June 2, 1773. 

He was descended in a direct line from, the celebrated Indian King Pow- 
hattan, and was ever px'oud of the Indian blood that flowed in his veins. 

At two years of age he lost his father, from which time forward he led a 
vagrant life, and reached his majority a wild, untamed, unlettered, and un- 
tutored youth. 

He spent a short time at Princeton College, part of a year at Columbia 
College, and a few months at William and Mary's College, winding up his 
educational career with some six month's residence in the law office of 
Edmund Randolph, in all of which places he says he never learned a thing. 
Such was the preparatory education of a man who afterward rose to the 
first position as a debater in the National Council. 

He was elected to Congress in 1799, and continued a Member of the 
House of Representatives most of the time, till 1^29, and afterward was 
a»ppointed Minister to Russia. 

He ever remained a bachelor ; and his naturally unamiable temper often 
became intolerable through his excessively abusive language in debate. He 
provoked a duel with Henry Clay, but afterward became his best friend. 

No man was listened to with more attentive silence in the House or 
Senate than he. He never spoke, without commanding the most intense 
interest. At his first gesture or word, the House and galleries were hushed 
into silence and attention. His voice was shrill and pipe-like, but under 
perfect command ; and, in its lower tones, it was music. His tall person, 
firm eyes, and peculiarly expressive fingers, assisted very much in giving 
effect to his delivery. His eloquence was generally exerted in satire and 
invective ; but he never attempted pathos without entire success. 

In quickness of perception, accuracy of memory, liveliness of imagina- 
tion, and sharpness of wit, he surpassed most men of his day ; but his judg- 
ment was feeble, and rarely consulted. 

One of his most striking characteristics was, perhaps, his economy, which 
he rigidly practiced; and, both in public and private affairs, diligently incul- 
cated. 

His inheritance was inconsiderable, and heavily incumbered with a 
British debt ; but, by a long course of economy, he relieved his estate, and 
acquired wealth. 

With all his moroseness, Mr. Randolph was a kind master, a good neigh- 
bor, and a steadfast friend. At the time of his death, he was possessed of a 
large and valuable estate, on the Roanoke, and had three hundred and 
eighteen slaves and one hundred and eighty horses, one hundred and twenty 
of which were blood horses. 

He died at Philadelphia on the 24th day of May, 18S4, in the sixty-first 
year of his age, while on his way to Europe, in hopes of a partial restoration 
to health. 



66. AARON BUER. 

Aaron Bukr was born in Newark, New Jersey, February 5, 1756. He 
lost both his parents before tliree years of his adventurous life had passed. 

Youni^ Burr entered NeAV Jersey College before he was twelve years old, 
and fjrnitfuatcd in 1772, at the age of sixteen, quite ripe in scholarship for 
one of his years. 

In 177<rhe was led to join the army raised for the defense of the Colonies, 
and served under Arnold, and shared with him the perilous march through 
the wilderness to Canada. On his arrival. General Montgomery made him 
liis Aid, and he Avas at the General's side when he fell. 

On his return, Burr was joined to the family of the Commander-in- 
Chief, but, for some reason, which does not appear, left the headquarters 
soon after, having, by his acts, lost forever the confidence of Washington. 
From this period, the hostility of Burr to his former patron was bitter and 
unceasing. 

In 1777 he was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel, and won the character of 
a brave and sagacious officer. In 1779, his health failing him, he was 
obliged to throw up his commission, and retire from the army. 

He then devoted himself to the study of the law, and commenced prac- 
tice at Albany in 1782, but soon removed to the city of New York. He 
became distinguished in his profession, and was appointed Attorney-Gen- 
eral of New York in 1789. 

From 1791 to 1797 he was a member of the United States Senate, and 
bore a conspicuous part, as a leader of the democratic, or republican, party. 

At the fourth Presidential election, Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr 
had each seventy-three votes; and the choice was decided by Congress, by 
the election of Mr. Jefferson for President, and Mr. Burr for Vice-President, 
on the thirty-sixth ballot. 

Colonel Burr was the mortal enemy of nearly all the leading Federalists, 
and a bitter opponent to the measures of Washington's administration. 
Perhaps he hated nobody with such cordial hostility as Colonel Hamilton, 
whom he challenged to the " fight of honor," in which Hamilton fell, and 
Burr was driven from his home and society for a while, by the indignant 
scorn of the community. 

Not long after this, he conceived his mad enterprise in the Western 
country of the United States ; for which he was at length apprehended, 
and brought to Richmond, Virginia, in August, 1807, on a charge of treason ; 
and, after a long trial, was acquitted. 

He afterward returned to the city of New York, and practiced law to 
some extent, but passed the remainder of his days in comparative obscurity 
and neglect. 

With the most brilliant talents and most insinuating address, and a tact 
in conversation and debate rarely equaled. Colonel Burr might have filled 
a high post of honor, with credit to himself and advantage to his country, 
but that lie was destitute of true honor, or common honesty. A profligate, 
with a corrupt heart, who scrupled at nothing which would satisfy his lust 
or Ins ambition, he sank lower and lower in the scale of humanity, until, 
fra,.v ' . ' .September, 1830, at the age of eighty, he died, leaving no 
iragraut lucmones behind. 



67. EDMUND P. GAINES. 

General E. P. G-aines was born in Culpepper Count)^, Virginia, March 
20, 1777. 

At the age of iiftec-.i he removed with his father to Sullivan County, 
afterward the eastern part of Tennessee, which portion of the State was 
then invested by the Cherokee Indians, who were very hostile to the whites, 
and kept the border families in a constant state of terror and alarm. 

He had heard of the cruel assaults of the savage foe, and longed to be 
led to their attack in the deep fastnesses where they dwelt. A rifle company 
being raised in his neighborhood, he was elected Lieutenant at the age of 
eighteen; and, in January, 1799, was appointed Ensign of the Sixth Regi- 
ment of Infantry in the United States army. 

In 1801 he was selected by the Government to command a company of 
Topographical Engineers for the survey of a military road from Nashville, 
Tenn., to Natchez, on the Mississippi River, in which service he was engaged 
until 1804, when he was appointed Military Collector for the District of 
Mobile. Here he served five years, and was promoted to the rank of Cap- 
tain, when he retired from tlie army, and commenced practicing law in the 
then Territory of Mississippi. 

On the declaration of war in 1812, Captain Gaines hastened to offer his 
services once more to his country. Raised to the rank of Colonel, he was 
ordered to the Northern frontier. Here, his superior discipline and knowl- 
edge of military tactics began early to be seen. After the battle of Christ- 
ler's Eields, in which he took a prominent part, he was taken sick, and was 
prevented sharing the fruits of victory in the campaign of General Harrison 
and its glorious termination at the Thames River. 

Early in August, 1814, Colonel Gaines was promoted to the rank of 
Brigadier-General, and ordered to Fort Erie, to assume command of tho 
Army of the North. He was immediately engaged in a sharp conflict with 
the enemy, which was continued almost every day for some time, and in 
which, victory ultimately perclied upon his standard. 

Congress, deeply sensible of the service he had rendered his country, 
voted him their thanks and a gold medal. He also received an elegant 
sword from each of the States of New York, Virginia, and Tennessee ; many 
other testimonials were also tendered him from various parts of the Union. 

He was with Jackson in the Creek War, and afterward commanded in 
tho Southern Military District, until the reduction of the army in 1821, 
when he was retained as a Brigadier-General, and the Western Division 
assigned to him. 

General Gaines was the senior officer during the Sauk (Indian) dis- 
turbances in 1831-33, and was, for a time, engaged in the Seminole War of 
1836. He was soon after transferred to the Eastern Division, with his head- 
quarters at New York. Afterward, returning to New Orleans, he became 
acquainted with the accomplished widow of General Whitney, and daughter 
of the late Daniel Clark, whom he married, and who has since become 
eelebrated as " Mrs. General Gaines," in her almost superhuman efforts for 
conducting to a successful issue a law-suit against the city of New Orleans 
for the recovery of her father's property in that city, which involved several 
millions of dollars. With her he lived in uninterrupted domestic peace and 
happiness until his death in the spring of 1849. 

General Gaines was a man of superior knowledge of militaiy tactics and 
discipline, of cxti'cmo simplicity of character~;^Yery decidedly " one of the 
p'^oplc '- — anU of .unquestioned integrity. 



68. HENEY E. SCHOOLCEAFT. 

IlEN'UY R. Schoolcraft was bom at tlie manor of Renssalaerwich, 
Guilderland, New York, March 28, ITOJJ. 

He early displayed an ardent love of knowledge ; at the age ot four- 
teen he began to contribute pieces in prose and verse to newspapers ; and 
for several years after, he pursued, without aid, the study of natural history, 
English literature, with the Hebrew, German, and French languages, and 
pur'sued advanced studies at Union College, Schenectady, N. Y., and after- 
ward at Middlebury, Vt. 

His fir.st work, published in 1817, was " Vitriology : An elaborate Treatise 
on the Application of chemistry to the manufacture of Glass." 

In 1818 he made a geological survey of Missouri and Arkansas, to the 
spur of the Rocky Mountains. 

Returning home, he published two treatises, which greatly stimulated 
emigration to the West, and brought his peculiar capabilities as a scientific 
exptorer before the public. 

In 1820 he was commissioned to visit the copper regions of Lake Supe- 
rior, and the head waters of the Mississippi River. He arrived at the actual 
source of the '* Great Father of Waters " July 23, 1822, and christened the 
lake in which it rises, "Itaska." From this period, his attention was prin- 
cipally devoted to the Indian race, and he commenced his long series of 
investigations as to their habits, language, and ancient traditions. About 
this time, he made the acquaintance of Miss Johnson (the grand-daughter 
of a celebrated Indian Chief), who had just returned from Europe — an 
accomplished young lady — where her father (a gentleman from the north of 
Ireland), had sent her to receive every advantage of education ; and, being 
acquainted with the Indian, as well as other languages, she seemed to Mr. 
Schoolcraft especially fitted to assist him in the mission to which he had 
devoted his life. 

They were, therefore, united in marriage in 1823, and lived together 
until lier death, in 1842. With her aid and influence, he gained access 
to our aborigines, and an insight into their secrets and private life, as well 
as the peculiar mode of thought of the red man, which would otherwise 
have been impossible. 

Numerous successive treatises came from his pen — descriptive, historical, 
and scientific : some legendary, as that of Hiawatha ; others philosophical, 
as that relating to the peculiarities of grammatical structure in the Indian 
nouns, which make all animate beings masculine, and all inanimate objects 
feminine. 

In 1847 Mr. Schoolcraft was employed by Congress to publish his great 
work on the " History and Condition of the Indian Tribes in the United 
States," and settled down to quiet study, in Washington. The same year 
he was united in marriage to Miss Mary Howard, a lady pre-eminently en- 
dowed by nature and culture to bo his associate in the higher mission of 
giving a scientific form and literary finish to the results of his former ex- 
plorations, consisting of six volumes, with material for two more, left unfin- 
ished at his death, which occurred on the 10th of December, 1864, in the 
seventy -second year of his age. 

N(jt long after he settled in Washington, Mr. Schoolcraft was crippled 
with rheumatic affections, and for tlic last years of his life confined to his 
bp.l. With his hmbs bent coinplr toly under him. Yet, with all his suffering, 
his high, open brow grew more majestic, and his noble mind still triumphed 
till tlic vcr}' last moment of his existence. 



X 



69. BLACK HAWK. 

Black Hawk, the most relentless foe to the whites, and one of the very 
last to smoke with them the calumet of peace, was born at the Sac village 
on E-ock River, in Illinois, in 1707. 

At fifteen years of age, having- wounded an enemy, he was permitted to 
paint, wear feathers, and to join the braves in their war-dances and on the 
war-path. Shortly after, he succeeded in ** killing his man" in battle, and 
then he was accounted a brave, and permitted to join in the " scalp-dance," 
an honor of which he was extremely proud. 

Not long after, the Northwestern Territory came into the possession of 
the United States, and the fears of the Indians were aroused with the belief 
that the white men were determined to wrest their territory from their 
possession — a fear which history shows was too well-founded. 

There were a few brave and patriotic spirits who resolved to stain the 
graves of their forefathers with their own blood, before they would yield 
their burial and hunting grounds to the ruthless invaders and spoilers. 
Among the foremost of these was the Prophet and Black Hawk, who trav- 
eled and visited all the Western tribes, stirrinjj them up to mortal hate and 
strife against the whole race of white men. 

From this time until he fell into the hands of the Americans, he pursued 
them with the most determined and savage barbarity. This conflict has 
been designated as the " Black Hawk "VYar." 

Conquered at length, a treaty of peace was negotiated, and five million 
acres of land purchased of the Indians by the Government, for twenty- 
three cents per acre. 

Thiis parting with his old hunting-grounds, Black Hawk turned, with 
a mournful spirit, to those remote prairies whither civilization compelled 
the reluctant steps of the " poor Indian." 

While traveling through the cities of the Union, at a ball given in honor 
of Washington's birth-day, he was complimented, to which he replied as 
follows : 

" It has pleased the Great Spirit that I am here to-day. The earth is 
our mother, and we are permitted upon it. A few snows ago, I was fight- 
ing against the white people : perhaps I was wrong. But that is past — it is 
buried ; let it be forgotten. I love my towns and corn-fields on the Rock 
River ; it was a beautiful country. I fought for it, but now it is yours ; 
keep it as the Sacs did. I was once a warrior, but now I am poor. Keo- 
Kuk has been the cause of what I am ; do not blame him. I love to look 
upon the Mississippi ; I have looked upon it from a child ; I love that beau- 
tiful river ; my home has always been upon its banks. I thank you for 
your friendship. I Avill say no more." 

Not long after, this famous old Chief, ivorn out with sorrow and ex- 
posure to the chill winds of the Western States, ended his checkered life at 
the camp on the Des Moines River, Iowa, on the Ud of October, ISoS, in tlio 
seventy-fourth year of his age. 



70. OSCEOLA. 

Osceola, sometimes called "Powell," was born in the Everglades of 
Florida, somewhere about the year 1804. His father was Chief of the tribe, 
and his early life was spent as a vagabond, in most inglorious barbarism. 

He was famous for his sagacity in hunting, his agility and strength in 
the athletic sports practiced among his tribe, such as dancing, racing, shoot- 
ing, Avrestling, &c. As he grew up, he entered fully into the grievances of 
his tribe with the whites, and when the "War of Title" (otherwise called 
the *' Seminole War) " commenced, he at once took the field in defense of his 
fatherland. 

A treaty was made with them by the United States Government, stipu- 
lating the conditions on which they should relinquish their title to the 
hunting-gi'ounds, but in which the Seminoles declared they had been 
deceived ; and therefore, the treaty was vitiated. 

The Government insisted on its fulfillment ; but the Indians resisted, 
and one of the most bloody and merciless struggles followed, Osceola being 
chosen, by the universal consent of his people, to the Chieftaincy of the 
Seminole warriors. 

With almost superhuman strength and energy, he traveled through the 
length and breadth of his tribe, encouraging resistance and slaughter to the 
whites. 

With the most consummate skill he would evade detachments of the 
American army, and beguile them into fatal ambuscades, where they would 
fall a prey to savage cruelty. He would never hesitate in taking the field, 
as his presence inspired his brethren, and his wonderful feats in arms gave 
heart to the timid, and fired each brave with a more determined will. He 
was foremost in every fray, and his place was sure to be where the blows 
fell fastest and hardest. 

The unerring aim of his splendid rifle, and the exact and deadly force of 
his keen-edged and glittering tomahawk, told fearfully on the ranks of the 
whites, while he seemed to bear a charmed mail, through which no Ameri- 
can bullet could penetrate. 

His name became a terror to his enemies, and to his fellow-braves a 
countersign to victory and glory. 

Thus for years he kept at bay the soldiers of the United States, when at 
lengtli, m 1828, he fell into a snare, and became a captive. He was taken to 
lort Moultrie, in South Carolina, where his mighty spirit chafed itself in 
chams, and where poor Osceola died of a broken heart on the 81st of Janu- 
ary, 1839. 

Thus perished the " Master-Spirit " of a long and desperate war ; and 
Osceola will be long remembered as the man that, with the feeblest means, 
produced the most terrible effects. 



/^ ^ 



VI. TECUMSEH. 

Tecumseh, an Indian Brigadier-General in the British army, was born 
about the year 3 770. 

From his childhood he was distinguished for his bravery and intrigue. 
Civilization has produced few minds that exceed the mind of the " great 
leader of the Shawnees." 

With real savage abhorrence of the whites, whom he hated as the 
invaders of the ashes oi his sires and the peace of his wigwam and hunting- 
grounds, he spared no white man who came within the reach of his rifle or 
tomahawk. 

For years he cherished, and at length matured, a plan for the utter 
expulsion of the whites from, the territory of his own and the neighboring 
tribes. 

In his negotiations with the Chiefs of the various tribes from the northern 
extremes of the lakes to the confluence of the Mississippi with the Gulf, he 
exhibited a sagacity and shrewdness, a knowledge of human nature, and an 
untiring perseverance worthy the great diplomatists of the world ; and his 
success was equal to his efforts. 

He appears to no less advantage as a negotiator with the whites. General 
Harrison was often pnt to fault with the shrewdness of his reasoning, and 
could never succeed in bringing the sturdy warrior to terms, save at the 
muzzle of his cannon. 

At the close of a fruitless negotiation. General Harrison said the matter 
in hand would be referred to the President. " Well," was his characteristic 
reply, " as the Great Chief is to determine the matter, I hope the Great Spirit 
will put sense enough into liis head to comply with the demands of my 
tribe ;" that such was his sense of wrong done to his brethren, that, unless 
his demands were complied with, he would fight it out ; and he " would give 
no rest to his feet, until he had united all the red men in a like determina- 
tion." 

On another occasion, when Tecumseh had closed his speech, and was about 
to be seated, he discovered that no chair had been provided for him. The 
chair was soon provided, and the officer who brought it, observed : " General, 
your Father's request is that you take a chair." "jl/^ Father !^^ exclaimed 
the indignant Chief, assuming his most majestic attitude ; " the sun is my 
father, and the earth my mother ; I will repose upon her bosom,^^ and immedi- 
ately threw himself, with inimitable grace, upon the ground, after the fash- 
ion of the Indians. 

At length the negotiations terminated, and an appeal was had to arms. 
The battle of Tippecanoe followed, and then the battle of the Thames, 
where, after fighting like a lion at bay — with a fury which he alone could 
assume — against the most fearful odds, and heaping a barrier of human 
bodies all aroun 1 him, a shot through the head laid him low with his foes 
who had fallen by his hand. 

Thus terminated, in the forty-fourth year of his age, the life of as brave 
a warrior as ever fou^rht for his fatherland. 



72. EED JACKET. 

Red Jacket, or Sa-goy-e-wa-tha, his Indian name, a Chief of tho 
Scnecas, was unquestionably the most remarkable orator, excepting " the 
^'00(1 Logan, the Avhite man's friend." that ever came of Indian stock. 

lie was born about the middle of the last century, near where the city 
of Buffalo noAV stands, and which was the residence of the Senecas. He 
■was of a brave but generous nature, and had small delight in the ferocities 
of Indian warfare. He was sagacious and prudent, very thoughtful, and 
possessed of a most determined spirit. 

He could neither be terrified nor cajoled into any measure. His hut was 
for years the resort of the learned and curious, who went thither to hear 
" tlie old man eloquent" discourse on the traditions of his race, or on the 
abstruse sciences of philosophy and theology. 

His dwelling stood on a spot which was secured to the Seneca tribe, and 
called the " l{,c.'servation". 

In his better days, many were the fruitless attempts to convert him to 
Christianity. He resisted all intercession, hurling back the argumentum 
ad homniem : " Your religion does not make good men of the whites; what 
can it do more for the red man ?" 

Red Jacket, like some of his white brethren, could not understand the 
mysteries of the vicarious sacrifice — how he and his tribe could, by any 
method of reasoning, in justice be made participators in the guilt of the 
crucifixion. 

He observed to a clergyman, who was trying to enlighten his benighted 
soul on the abstruse subject : " Brother, if you Avhite men murdered the Son 
of the Great Spirit, as Indians we had nothing to do Avith it, and it is none 
of our affairs. If he had come to us we would not have killed him ; we 
would have treated him well. You must make amends for that crime your- 
selves." 

_ In 1805, he held a solemn council with his tribe on the proposition of a 
missionary. Rev. Mr. Cram, and declined it in one of the most masterly 
Bpecchcs ever delivered into the ears of men. 

His meeting with Lafayette, when he was last in the United States, was 
affecting in the extreme. 

He preserved the utmost decorum and dignity of manner at all times, 
until, in the latter part of his life, when he fell a victim to the accursed 
' hro-wiiter, which destroyed so many of his race. On the 20th of June, 
IhoO at the advanced age of eighty years, he left the world, to join those 
wlio had gone before him to the happy hunting-grounds of the spirit land. 



13. KEO-KUK. 

Keo-Kuk, or the " Eunning: Fox," a powerful Chief of the Sac and Fox 
Indians, was born at the very commencement of the present century. 

He early g-avo indications of his shrewdness and courage — the traits of 
Indian character most in esteem with his tribe ; and while he was a mere 
youth, he was admitted to the more manly sports and dances, for which no 
mere 'papjjoose is esteemed fit. 

On the breaking out of Black Hawk's war, he was a subordinate Chief 
under that renowned warrior, and showed himself a brave and careful sol- 
dier. He aided, both by his counsels and prowess in battle, to shorten that 
cruel and bloody struggle. 

He was among the earliest to acknowledge his error, and afterward be- 
came a friend of the white man, and did all he could to bring about a fair 
and lionorable peace. 

When Black Hawk and the Prophet were taken prisoners, General Har- 
rison, who had experienced the duplicity and treachery of these malignant 
Chiefs in many ways, and had lost all confidence in their promises, desirous 
of negotiating terms of reconciliation with some competent person among 
the tribes of hostile Indians, at once deposed Black Hawk, and raised Keo- 
Kuk to his place ; and it is but justice to this Chief to say, that he main- 
tained the terms of the convention inviolate himself, and did what he could 
to enforce it among the warriors of his tribe. 

The negotiation of that important treaty was a scene of great interest. 
Keo-Kuk was the principal speaker on the occasion, while the dethroned 
Black Hawk stood upon the outside of the circle, not allowed to speak or 
sign the treaty, with the Prophet and his principal aid, Nah-Pope, standing 
by his side, in scowling silence and painful submission. 

After peace was made with the Indians, Keo-Kuk, together with Black 
Hawk, the Prophet, and some twenty others of the most powerful Chiefs 
among them, visited the principal cities of the Union. 

On the return of Keo-Kuk to his native wilds, he, in company with his 
tribe, migrated to the west side of the Mississippi, and established a vil- 
lage on the Des Moines Kiver, about seventy miles from its mouth. Here 
he held his court. He sustained his rank among his fallen braves with the 
same ceremony and grandeur as evei', but still under the restraint and 
power of his white foes. 

"I found Keo-Kuk," says Catlin, who visited his village in 1835, "to be 
a Chief of fine and portly figure, with a good countenance, and great dignity 
and grace in his manners. He is a man of a great deal of pride, and makes 
truly a splendid appearance when mounted on his beautiful black war- 
horse." Catlin painted his portrait in this guise, as well as full length on 
foot. He was proud of the i^.ctures, and excessively vain of his own appear- 
ance. 



/ r 



74. INDIAN ''PBOPHET." 

The *' Prophet," or Wah-pe-kee-suit, signifying " White Cloud, was a 
brother of the celebrated Black Hawk, and the prime instigator of the war 
that bears the name of this chief. 

He was born on the Rock Biver, in Illinois, about the year 1780. The 
blood of two races runs in his veins — the Winnebago and the Sac, or Sauk, 
tribes. 

All that can be learned of his early life is, that he was an unmitigated 
savage. 

A relentless foe to the whites, he pursued them, with the most untiring 
zeal, forgetting to eat or sleep in his eager thirst for their blood. The bul- 
let or the tomahawk was the only mercy he was known to show to those 
who fell into his hands. 

Like his brother-prophets, of the Shawnees and the Seminoles, he laid 
claim to supernatural powers, and pretended to have revelations from the 
Great Spirit. 

He gained such complete ascendency over the mind of Black Hawk, as 
to make that credulous Chief believe that he would become the glorious in- 
strument in the hands of the Great Spirit of relieving the whole country of 
their white-faced enemies, who were so fast encroaching upon their hunt- 
ing-grounds. Li the same manner was the shrewd Tecumseh imposed upon 
by the Shawnees' prophet. 

The Prophet traveled the country through, from the Gulf to the Rocky 
Mountains, stirring up the various tribes to mutiny and massacre ; and 
when the hour came for the stroke of war, his hand was the readiest among 
the savage hordes. 

At the final treaty with the Sacs and Foxes, in 1833, the Prophet and 
Black Hawk were in disgrace, and the Americans would not treat with 
them. They were deposed, and Keo-Kuk was made Chief of this double 
tribe, with whom all the subsequent negotiations were conducted. 

After the convention, the tribe removed west of the Mississippi ; and the 
Pro])het, after making a tour of the Union with his brethren, took up his 
residence in the same village Avith Keo-Kuk, on the Des Moines River, 
about seventy miles from its confluence with the Mississippi, where he 
biiont the rest of his days in peace. 

lie is described as having a large, broad face ; short, blunt nose ; large, 
full eyes ; wide mouth, and thick lips, with a full head of liair — the whole 
man exhibiting a savage nature, and marking him as the very high-priest 
of assassination and murder. 



^5. JOHN SMITH. 

Captain John Smith -was born in England in the year 1579. Few men 
have exhibited such a love for the romance of life, and few have been more 
gratified in this respect than the brave and gallant John Smith. He 
exhibited this trait in early life, engaging in the most reckless and danger- 
ous exploits. 

At thirteen years of age he sold his school-books and satchel, to raise 
money to run avray, it being his purpose to go to sea, but was afterwards 
apprenticed to a merchant. 

At fifteen he left his master, and went into France and the low countries. 
At seventeen he embarked once more to carve out his own fortune in com- 
pany with some pilgrims to Italy. A violent storm arose, and Smith, being 
a " heretic," was deemed the cause of the misfortune, and was thrown over- 
board, but saved his life by swimming to the shore. 

After this, he entered the service of the Emperor of Austria, and so won 
his confidence as to get an important command. 

At the siege of St. Rugal he accepted the challenge of a Turkish Lord, 
and smote off his head, fighting on horseback. A second and third shared 
the same fate. He was finally taken prisoner, and sold into slavery, but 
escaped by slaying his master. After visiting Russia he returned to Eng- 
land, and immediately turned his attention to the colonization of North 
America 

Smith arrived on the coast of Virginia in 1607, with a small colony, 
and located on the left bank of the James River, about fifty miles from iid 
mouth, and called it Jamestown. 

He Avas the leading spirit of the company ; and, were it not for his 
sagacity and wisdom, they would have perished within a twelvemonth. 

The savages regarded him with awe and hatred — now compassing his 
life by every ingenious artifice, and now reverencing him as a god. All ai-e 
familiar with the story of his capture by Powhattan, of his being led forth 
for execution, and his head laid upon a large stone to receive the fatal blow, 
when Pocahontas, the Chief's daughter, rushed in between the victim and 
the uplifted axe of the executioner, and, with tears and entreaties, besought 
her father to save his life. The savage Chief relented, and John Smith was 
set free. 

He explored the coast from Cape Cod to the Penobscot, while on one of 
his expeditions, and named it New England, which name it has ever since 
retained. 

He published several volumes of his adventures, and a map of the whole 
coast from the Penobscot to the James River, giving both the Indian and 
English names of the principal places. 

He was seriously injured by the premature explosion of a powder-flask, 
and returned to England for medical advice; but never recovered from its 
eff'ects. 

After various adventures, he died in London in 1631, in the fifty-second 
year of his age. 



76. .iOHK- C. CALHOUN. 

John C. Calhoun was born in Abbeville District, South Carolina, 
March 18, 1783, of Irish parents. 

Although he had a great passion for books which fell in his way, yet, 
until lie was eighteen years of age, his education was limited. 

It was at tills period (1800) that he entered the academy of his brother- 
in-law, Dr. Waddel, in Columbia County, Georgia. 

Here his progress was so rapid that in two years he entered the Junior 
class of Yale College, and graduated, in 1804, with the highest honors, just 
four years from the time of commencing Latin grammar. During his col- 
lege life he gave brilliant signs of his coming greatness. 

He was a particular favorite of President Dwight, who, on account of 
his extraordinary talents, predicted that he would become President of the 
United States. 

He studied law at Litchfield, Connecticut, and in 1807 was admitted to 
the bar of South Carolina. The next year he entered the Legislature of 
that State, where he served two sessions with ability and distinction, and 
in 1811 was elected to the Congress of the United States, where he continued 
until 1817, when he became Secretary of War under President Monroe. 
He conducted the affairs of that dei)artment with energy and ability for 
seven years. 

In 1825 he was elected Vice-President, with John Q. Adams, and again, 
1829, with Andrew Jackson. In 1831, upon General Hayne's leaving the 
Senate to become Governor of South Carolina, Mr, Calhoun resigned the 
Vice-Presidency, and was elected a member of the United States Senate by 
tlie Legislature of South Carolina. After the expiration of this term, he 
went, voluntarily, into retirement. 

Upon tho death of Mr. Upshur, he assumed the conduct of the State 
Department, which he held during Tyler's administration. 

In 1845 he was again elected Senator, which office he held until his 
decease. 

As a presiding officer of the Senate, he was punctual, methodical, and 
accurate, and had a high regard for the dignity of that body, which he 
endeavored to preserve and maintain. During his early life he was, "like 
most of the educated Southerners of that day, an abolitionist, looking upon 
slavery as a mere temporary expedient, necessary to the South for a time, 
but which would pass away ere long." But in after-life his views under- 
went a change. 

His connection with Nullification, his views of the Tariff and States 
Ilights Supremacy, are familiar to all. He shaped the course, and moulded 
the opinious, of the people of his own States, and of some of the other States, 
ujmn all tliese subjects. Amid all tho strifes of party politics, there always 
existed between him and his political opponents a great degree of personal 
kindness. He died at AVashington, March 31, 1850, leaving behind him 
the reputation of one of tho greatest of American statesmen. 



X 



11. DANIEL WEBSTEE. 

Daniel "Webster, the " Hercules" of American orators, was born in 
Salisbury, N. H., January 18, 1783. He received his early education from 
his mother and the common school. He entered Dartmouth College in 
1797, and graduated, without any special promise of future greatness, in 
1801. He commenced the study of law in his native village, and finished 
in Boston, where he was admitted to the bar in 1805. He removed to Bos- 
cowan, N. H., and afterwards to Portsmouth, where he practiced nine years, 
and established a reputation as a sound lawyer and able advocate. In 
1812 he was elected Representative to Congress from New Hampshire, and 
was re-elected in 1814. He removed to Boston in 1816, and the next year, 
by his brilliant argument in the "Dartmouth College case," took rank 
among the most distinguished jurists in the country. 

In 1820 he was chosen a member for revising the Constitution of Massa- 
chusetts, where he received the eulogy of the venerable John Adams. In 
1822 he was elected Representative to Congress from Massachusetts, and 
early in the session made his memorable speech on the Greek Revolution, 
which at once established his reputation as one of the greatest statesmen of 
the age. In 1824 he was re-elected, and in 1826 was elected to the United 
States Senate, in which he continued for twelve years. 

In 1830 he made his celebrated speech in reply to Robert Y. Hayne, of 
South Carolina, in vindication of Massachusetts history, and United States 
Supremacy, which is regarded as one of the ablest parliamentary efforts 
ever made in Congress. In 1839 he visited Europe, where his fame had 
preceded him ; and he received the attention due to his talents, at the 
French and English Courts. 

In 1841 he was appointed Secretary of State by President Harrison, and 
continued under Tyler until 1843, during which time he negotiated the 
famous Aehburton Treaty. He was again chosen Senator in 1845, and 
appointed Secretary of State by President Filmore in 1850. In December 
of that year he wrote the " immortal Hulseman letter." 

Mr. Webster's discourses upon historical and patriotic anniversaries, his 
speeches in Congress, and his efforts at the bar, are among the brightest 
gems of modern eloquence, and show an extraordinary power of clothing 
most beautiful ideas in the plainest language. He had a wonderful faculty 
of bringing into his speeches short and expressive sentences, which produced 
a powerful and lasting effect. Most of them, such as " Union and Liberty 
— Noio and Forener — One and Inseparable,'^ are familiar to all. But one of 
the most effective (at the time of its delivery), I have never seen in print; 
it was delivered in the United States Court in Boston, when, being corrected 
by Judge Story, who said, " I believe you are wrong, Mr. Webster," which 
was echoed by the opposing counsel, he paused for a moment, surveyed 
the counsel and Judge with his eagle eye, and, in Herculean tones, replied : 
" I'm rigid ; I know I'm right ; and I'll pro^^e I'm right !" As by an electric 
shock, all in the room rose involuntarily from their seats, such was the 
power of those few words. 

Mr. Webster was the champion of the supremacy of the United States, 
and the expounder of the Constitution. In defining the latter, he said : "It 
certainly is not a league, compact, or confederacy; but a fundamental law, 
ordained and established by the people : it is the Government of the United 
States !" 

Mr. Webster died at his farm in Marshfield, Mass., October 24, 1853, 
with these expressive words upon his lips : " I still live !" And Daniel Web- 
ster will ever live in the hearts and memory of his countrymen. 



7S. HENRY CLAY. 

Henry Cl.vy Avas bom April 12, 1777, in Hanover county, Virginia, 
in the rei::ion known as " the Slaslies;" from which lie afterward received 
the appcflation of " the Mill-boy of the Slashes." He received his educa- 
i'nni at the lield schools of that day, and when fourteen years of age was 
eniploved as copyist in the office of the clerk of the Court of Chancery, 
at Uichmoud, where his delicate handwriting attracted the attention of 
Chancellor AVythe, who employed him for four years to copy his elabo- 
rate and learned decisions, imparted to him his own sound opinions, and 
assisted him to study law. He joined a debating club in Richmond, 
where he first became acquainted with the fact that he had talents for 
oratory. At twenty he was licensed to practice law, and soon afterward 
moved to Lexington, Kentucky, and opened an office. 

" I remember," says he, " with w^hat delight I received my first fifteen- 
shilHng fee. My hopes were more than realized, and I rushed at once 
into a snccessfid and lucrative practice." 

He had but fairly to get before a jury to convince a client that " Henry 
Cla^'" was the man to carry a case triumphantly through a Kentucky 
Court. His first political act was to write a series of letters urging the 
people of Kentucky to abolish slavery. 

Li 1803 he was elected to the Legislature of Kentucky, and in 180G 
was appointed to fill an unexpired term in the LTnited States Senate. In 
180 r he was again elected to the State Legislature, and was chosen 
Speaker. In the following year occurred his duel with Humphrey Mar- 
shall. 

In 1809 he was again elected to the United States Senate, to fill an un- 
expired term; and in 1811 he was elected Representative to Congress. 
He was immediately chosen Speaker, and five times re-elected to this office. 
During this session, his eloquence aroused the country to resist the 
aggression of Great Britain, and awakened a " National" spirit. In 1814 
he was appointed one of the Commissioners to negotiate a treaty of peace 
wdtli Great Britain. 

Returning with great credit, he was again elected Representative to 
Congress, where his eloquent voice was heard in favor of recognizing the 
independence of the South American Republics, and he put forth his 
strength in behalf of a National System of Internal Improvements, and 
for the establishment of Protection to American Industry. 

In 1823, after a short recess to attend to his private affairs, he was re- 
turned to Congress and re-elected Speaker, and at this session he exerted 
himself m support of the independence of Greece. In 1825 he was ap- 
pomted Secretary of State, under John Quincy Adams; during which he 
fought the duel with John Randolph. In 1831 he w^as elected to the 
United States Senate, where he commenced his labors in favor of the 
lantf, and the same year was nominated for President of the United 
States. He was again nominated in 1844, but was defeated in both cases. 
♦ •^■.''5!!^ }^^^ ^^''^^ "^ ^^^^ Senate, in 1842, and remained in retirement 
until lyil), when he was again elected to the Senate of the United States. 
Here he devoted all his energies to the measures known as the Com- 
promise Measures. His efforts impaired his health, and he died June 29, 

Mr. Clay was a powerful debater, and eloquent orator. America has 
pnmucea a le\y men, cacli of whom is a tow^er of strength, and whose 

i nm'if^^^'tf ^ 1-'''^^ ^'-'^^ ^;^'^'>^' ^^'^ i'^-agrant in aU the lau§. Henry Clay 
13 among the foremost of those few J J 



' X 



79. SOLOMON FOOTE. 

Solomon Foote was born in Cornwall, Vermont, November 19, 1803, 
He graduated at Middlebury CoUeg-e, with distinguished honor, in 182G, 
and the same year became Principal of the Seminary at Castleton. He was 
Tutor of the University of Vermont in 1827; and again, from 1828 to 18ol, 
Principal of Castleton Seminary, during which he studied law, was admitted 
to the bar, and commenced practice at E,utland, in 18ol, where he ever after 
resided, i'or five years he was a member of the Legislature of Vermont, 
and for three years Speaker of the House of Pepresentatives. From 18oG 
to 1842 he was Prosecuting- Attorney for the County of Rutland, and from 
1843 to 1847 was a member of the House of Representatives of the United 
States, but declined a third election. 

In 1850 he was elected United States Senator, and occupied that position 
until his death, in 18G6, at which time he was the oldest member in con- 
tinuous service in that body. 

It was as Speaker of the Vermont Plouse of Representatives that Mr. 
Foote first displayed that almost wondrous aptitude and capacity as the 
presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, and which afterward made him 
so celebrated throughout the nation, when he became the presiding officer 
of the Senate of the United States, as, perhaps, the best presiding officer in 
the whole country. 

He seem jd almost to have been made for the position. His fine, majestic 
person, his dignified deportment, his full and rich voice, his easy and grace- 
ful manners, all conspired to make him a most useful and acceptable presi- 
dent over any assembly. His knowledge of parliamentary law and usage 
was very thorough. His superiority in this respect appeared born in him. 
His look preserved order; his slightest word allayed confusion. 

The same grace of person and dignity of manner attended him always 
and everywhere, and was equally pleasing and agreeable in private society 
and on the Senate floor. He had nothing of haughtiness or arrogance, but 
was kindly and benignant. All this had, doubtless, much to do with the 
universal personal love and reverence felt for him by all who knew him. Mr. 
Foote was a great man, by reason of his great heart. Not a single act, or 
several acts, of great statesmanship, but a lifetime of good and generous and 
unselfish deeds, made him great, and gave him such a hold upon the hearts 
of the people of his own State, and all others who knew him. 

Senator Foote was a patriotic man. He cherished the Declaration of 
Independence ; and when, by the force of law, " all men became absolutely 
free," he was the earnest and fearless advocate of those measures designed 
to protect the fi'oedman in all his civil rights. 

Pie seldom spoke, but when he did, he spoke wisely and well. He loved 
and honored Vermont, and was proud that it was the place of his birth. He 
died at the city of Washington, March 20, 1866. 



80. THOMAS COEWIN.'^ 

Thomas Corwin ^vas born in Bourbon County, Kentucky, July 29, 1794. 
"WTacn he was four years old, his father removed to Warren County, Ohio. 
His early education was neglected, but when he found himself approaching- 
manhood, he made great exertions to remedy the deficiency ; and, being- 
possessed of a quick and intuitive perception of the fitness of things, he drew 
such lessons from his experience as admirably fitted him for the prominent 
part he was destined to act in the gi'eat drama of life. He studied dili- 
gently, and soon acquired a sufficient knowledge of the classics to warrant 
his decision to acquire a profession. Selecting the law, he underwent the 
ordinary preparation of a clerkship, and opened an office in "Warren County, 
where he found plenty of work, and made many friends. 

The strong points of Mr. Corwin's character were courage, honesty, 
energy, and great perseverance ; and his fellow-citizens could not fail to 
perceive his fitness to manage the affairs of the neighborhood in which he 
resided. Accordingly, he was elected to the State Legislature. He served 
in this capacity but a short time, however, when he was called to a higher 
sphere of labor, having been elected to the United States Congress in 1831. 
He continued to hold his seat in this body for nine years, during which 
time he was found to be a ready and powerful debater, a steady friend of 
the Whig party, and an able advocate of all its measures in the House. 

In 1840 he was chosen Governor of the State of Ohio for two years, and 
in 1845 was elected to the United States Senate. He continued to hold his 
seat in that body until the accession of Mr. Filmore to the Presidency, when 
that gentleman called him to aid the executive administration by his counsel 
and advice, and appointed him Secretary of the Treasury, which position 
he held until the accession of Mr. Buchanan to the Presidency. 

He then retired to Ohio, to attend to the duties of his profession. In 
1861 Mr. Corwin was appointed Minister to Mexico. This position he held 
through the trying period of the civil war of that country, as well as of his 
own, and until his death, December 18, 1805. 

Mr. Corwin was one of the most popular and effective stump orators in 
the country ; his speeches abounded in witty anecdotes and scathing satire, 
in delivering which, his gestures and facial contortions would act out the 
full meaning of what he said, and keep his hearers in a continuous roar of 
laughter, or riveted to his argument. 

There have been but few men who could keep his audience so long in 
good humor as " Tom Corwin." 

Mr. Corwin was a short and rather stout-built man, with a mild, roguish 
black eve, very dark complexion, and was familiarly known as *^ Black Tom 



81. EOGEH B. TANEY. 

Roger B. Taney was born in Calvert County, Maryland, March 17, 
1777. He was educated at Dickenson College, Carlisle, where he graduated 
in 1795. In the spring of 1796 he commenced the study of the law, was 
admitted to the bar in 1799, and in the fall of the same year was elected to 
the State Legislature. He removed to Frederickstown in 1801, it being a 
more eligible point for the pursuit of his profession, and continued in its 
practice until 1816, when he was elected to the Senate of Maryland, which 
was composed of fifteen members, chosen for five years. After the expira- 
tion of his term of service in the Senate, Mr. Taney returned to private life, 
and continued the practice of law in Frederick until 1823, when he removed 
to Baltimore, where he ever after resided. 

In 1827 he was appointed Attorney-General of Maryland by the Governor 
and Council, who were, at the time, his political opponents. Mr. Taney 
continued to hold the office of Attorney-General of Maryland until 1831, 
when he resigned upon receiving the appointment of Attorney-General of 
the United States by President Jackson. 

Upon the refusal of Secretary Duanc, of the Treasury, to remove the 
United States deposits from the United States Bank, as requested to do by 
General Jackson, and who resigned in consequence, Mr. Taney was tendered 
the office of Secretary of the Treasury by President Jackson, which he 
accepted, resigning the office of Attorney-General ; and, before hia con- 
firmation was acted upon by the Senate, he removed the deposits, and 
placed them in several State banks, created for that purpose, being informed 
by General Jackson that he would *' take the responsibility." Mr. Taney's 
nomination was rejected by the Senate, and he returned to Baltimore, and 
resumed the practice of the law. In 1835, a vacancy occurring in the 
United States Supreme Court, Jackson nominated Mr. Taney as Associate- 
Justice of that Court, to fill the vacancy. A majority of the Senate, how- 
ever, refused to act upon his nomination until the last moment of the session, 
when it was indefinitely postponed by a vote which was intended to be, and 
was, equivalent to a rejection. 

Before the next session, Chief-Justice Marshall died, and Mr. Taney was 
thereupon nominated for the office of Chief- Justice of the Supreme Court ; 
and, the political complexion of the Senate having changed, his nomination 
was confirmed in March, 1836. He took his seat on the bench in the Circuit 
Court, for the District of Maryland, in May, 1836, and on the bench of the 
Supreme Court, in January, 1837. 

Mr. Taney's administration as Chief-Justice was particularly memorable 
for the Dred Scott decision, in which he gave his opinion that a black man, 
although free, was not a citizen. 

During the term of his service, he administered the oath of office to nine 
Presidents. 

He died October 12, 18G4. 



82. STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS. 

Stephen A. Douglas was born, at Brandon, Vermont, April 23, 1813. 
His father, a physician, died while he was an infant, and his mother, being 
in straitened circumstances, apprenticed him, when quite young, to a cabinet- 
maker at Middlebury, where he worked for eighteen months, when his 
health obliged him to abandon it, and he studied for a year at the academy 
at Brandon. 

His mother having married again, he followed her to Canandaigua, N. 
Y., where he studied law until 1831, when he went West, and, after various 
vicissitudes, finally settled in Jacksonville, 111. After earning a few dollars 
as clerk to an auctioneer, he opened a school, devoting all his spare momenta 
to the study of the law. 

In 1834 he was admitted to the bar, and soon acquired a profitable busi- 
ness, and rose rapidly to distinction, being appointed Attorney-General of 
the State before ho was twenty-two years of age. In December, 1835, he 
resigned, having been elected to the Legislature by the Democrats of Mor- 
gan County. 

In 1837 he was appointed Register of the Land Office at Springfield, 
111., by President Van Buren. 

In 1840 he stumped the State for Mr. Van Buren, and the same year was 
apix)inted Secretary of State of Illinois. The following year he was made 
Judge of the Supreme Court. 

This office he resigned, after sitting upon the bench for two years, when, 
in 1843, he was elected Representative to Congress. He was re-elected in 
1844 and '40, and in 1847 was elected to the United States Senate. 

Here he took a prominent position as an able and ready debater, and one 
of the most active members. 

He was an early advocate of the annexation of Texas, and a firm sup- 
porter of the Mexican war. He boldly stood forward as an advocate of what 
were called^ " extreme measures," on the " Oregon Question," and was the 
" master spirit" in procuring the repeal of the Missouri Compromise. From 
this important event dates the most notable agitation which has swept over 
the country since the American Revolution. The history of our progress 
and civilization are involved in it. 

In 1858 Mr. Douglas canvassed the State of Illinois, in opposition to 
Abraham Lincoln, for the United States Senatorship ; and, after a most 
interesting and exciting campaign, a Legislature was elected which returned 
Mr. Douijrlas to Congress. 

In 1859 Mr. Douglas published an elaborate paper on the "Dividing 
Lme between Federal and Local Authority." 

In 1800 he was a candidate for the Presidency by the conservative 
Democrats ; but the great question of freedom had become the issue, and 
Abraham Lincoln, the Republican candidate, was elected. 

On the seceding of a portion of the States, Mr. Douglas wrote an able 
letter on public affairs, giving his " giant" influence in support of the 
Lniun IIo did not live to see the Rebellion fairly inaugurated, but died 
June 3d, IbOl, at Chicago, Illinois. 



83. FEANCIS GEANGEE. 

Francis Granger was bom in Suffield, Hartford County, Connecticut, 
in 1787, and was educated at Yale College, Avhere he graduated in 1811, 
and commenced the practice of the law in the beautiful village of Canan- 
daigua, N. Y., to which his father had removed about 1814. His entry into 
political life was in 1825, in which year he was elected Representative to 
the State Legislature. 

He was prominent in the anti-Masonic movement, which created such 
excitement in the State of New York ; and was the confrere of Wm. H. 
Seward, Thurlow "Weed, Millard Filmore, and. other young men who, at 
that time, were aspirants for fame, and who joined the political crusade 
against the JMasons, after the alleged abduction of William Morgan. 

In 1826 Mr. Granger was re-elected to the Legislature, and in 1828 was 
put in nomination by the anti-Masons as a candidate for Governor, and by 
the Adams Republicans as Lieutenant-Governor, but was defeated. 

The following year he was re-elected to the Legislature, and in 1830 was 
again the anti-Masonic candidate for Governor, and again unsuccessful. In 
1831 he was again sent to the State Legislature, but for the last time. 

In 1832, when the Clay Republicans and anti-Masons coalesced, Mr. 
Granger was again nominated for Governor, but was defeated by W. L. 
Marcy. 

In 1834 the "Whig party — made up of anti- Jackson Democrats and Clay 
Republicans — came upon the political stage, and Mr. Granger was recog- 
nized as one of its ablest leaders. His name was that year before the con- 
vention as a candidate for Governor, but Wm. H. Seward carried off the 
honor of the nomination. 

In the fall of that year, however, the Whigs of the 2Gth Congressional 
District made Mr. Granger their candidate for Congress, and elected him. 

In 1836 ho was nominated by the anti-Masons for Vice-President, but, 
being obnoxious on account of his anti-Slavery proclivities, failed to secure 
the votes of the Electoral College. In 1838 Mr. Granger was elected to Con- 
gress, and re-elected in 1840, and, in 1841, was nominated by President 
Harrison as Postmaster-General ; but it was with some difficulty that his 
nomination was confirmed by the Senate. After the death of General 
Harrison, he resigned his position in July, 1841, at the request of the New 
York delegation, in consequence of President Tyler's action on the question 
of the United States Bank, and was elected to Congress, and served in the 
session of 1841 and '42. He was teudered a renomination, but declined, and 
never afterward held public oiace. He was President of the Whig State 
Convention in 1850, and a member of the Peace Conference in 1861. 

Francis Granger was a gentleman of noble and commanding person, 
united to remarkable energy and activity, and was a good judge of charac- 
ter, rejecting the base and unworthy ways of demagogism, and deeply sym- 
pathizing with all the higher and better impulses of humanity and progress. 
He died August 28, 1868. 



84. SAMUEL HOUSTON. 

Samuel Houston was born in Rockbridge County, Virginia, March 2, 
1793. At a very early age he lost his father, and ho, with his mother, 
removed to the banks of the Tennessee River, then the outermost border of 
civiliz.ition. Here he grew up a wild youth, and very much attached to the 
Indian mode of living — a liking which seems never to have deserted him. 

He tried his hand at book-keeping, but, not liking a mercantile life, com- 
menced teaching school. At length, becoming disgusted with the ferule, he 
enlisted in the army in 1813, and served under the immediate eye of General 
Jackson to the close of the war; receiving an honorable discharge, with the 
commission of Lieutenant, having distinguished himself for his bravery and 
good soldiership on several occasions. 

On leaving the army he studied law, and soon entered the political arena 
of his country, where he figured until his death. His Congressional career 
commenced in 1823, when he became a member of the House of Represen- 
tatives, and continued a member of that body until lb28, when he was 
elected Governor of Tennessee. 

In 1829, before the expiration of his Gubernatorial term, he resigned his 
office, and went to take up his abode among the Cherokees, in Arkansas. 

During his residence among them, he undertook a mission to Washing- 
ton, for the purpose of exposing the frauds practiced upon the Indians; but 
he met Avith little success, and returned in disgust to his savage friends. 

During a visit to Texas, he was requested to allow his name to be used 
in the canvass for a convention which was to meet to form a constitution 
for Texas, prior to its admission into the Mexican Union. 

He consented, and was unanimously elected. The constitution framed by 
the convention being too liberal, was rejected by Santa Anna, who ordered 
them to give up their arms, and acknowledge fealty to the Mexican Republic. 

The Texans determined on resistance, and General Austin, the com- 
mander of the Texan forces, was soon succeeded by General Houston, who, 
by his indomitable courage and unsurpassed military sagacity, carried on 
the war with vigor and ability, and brought it to a successful termination 
by the battle of San Jacinto, which he fought in April, 1S36 ; and, in May, 
Santa Anna signed a treaty of peace, acknowledging the independence of 
Texas. General Houston was then inaugurated first President in October 
of tlie same year, and again elected in 1841. In 1846 Texas was admitted 
into the American Union, and General Houston was elected United States 
Senator, serving until the close of the Thirty-Fifth Congress, and was elected 
Governor of Texas in 1859. On the breaking out of the Rebellion, General 
Houston took neutral grounds, and endeavored to prevent Texas joining the 
Southern Confederacy, preferring to establish a separate government by 
iteelf; but he Avas overruled; Texas joined the Confederacy, and the hero 

oi .^..n"^^"^ retired to his plantation in Huntsville, where he died, July 
<&0, loOo. 



85. robp:rt y. hayxe. 



Robert Y, Hatne was born near Charleston, South Carolina, on the 10th day 
of November, 1*791. His early education was obtained at a grammar-school at 
Charleston ; his later training was in the school of life. At the age of seventeen, 
he commenced the study of law, and at the age of twenty-one, began to practice 
at Charleston. He enlisted in the war of 1812, and entered the army as lieute- 
nant, and served in various grades to the termination of his enlistment, when he 
returned to Charleston, and resumed the practice of his profession, in which he 
soon became prominent. 

His remarkable powers as an orator soon brought him into political notoriety ; 
and as early as 1814 he was elected a member of the State Legislature, and in 
1818 was chosen speaker of that body, which office he filled with dignity and 
promptitude. 

During the session, he was chosen Attorney-General of the State. In 1822, 
he was elected a member of the United States Senate, which office he retained ten 
years. It was during his second term that the Nullification difficulties arose be- 
tween South Carolina and the United States, in which General Hayne took a pro- 
minent and conspicuous position. In 1832, he was elected a member of the fa- 
mous " Union and States Rights Convention," and, as Chairman of the " Commit- 
tee of Twenty-dne," he reported the " Ordinance of Nullification," which was adopt- 
ed by the Convention. He was immediately chosen Governor of the State, and, 
on the receipt of President Jackson's famous proclamation against the Nullifiers 
of South Carolina, Governor Hayne sent forth a counter proclamation "full of 
lofty defiance and determined resolution." After much plotting and counter- 
plotting, South Carolina repealed her ordinance of Nullification, and the United 
States modified the tariff. 

In 1834, General Hayne was elected Mayor of tlie city of Charleston, and in 
1837 was chosen President of the Charleston, Louisville, and Cincinnati Railroad 
Company. This office he held until his death, which took place at Asheville, 
North Carolina, September 24, 1841, in the fiftieth year of his age. 

The celebrated passage at arras, in 1830, between him and the Senator from 
Massachusetts (Daniel Webster) will long be remembered by those who witness- 
ed it as one of the most gallant and interesting conflicts ever fought on the field of • 
senatorial debate ; and furnished examples of powerful eloquence which will be 
quoted for centuries to come. A very large aud elaborate painting, by Healey, 
representing Webster's reply to Hayne, giving life-size portraits of all the sena- 
tors then in the Senate Chamber, as well as other distinguished men who listened 
to that master piece of eloquence, was presented to the city of Boston, Massa- 
chusetts, and placed on exhibition in Faneuil Hall, where it can be seen by the 
pubUc at all times. 



86. THOMAS H. BENTON. 

Thomas H. Benton -^as born in North Carolina, in the year 1783, and 
Avas educated at Chapel Hill College. 

He left that institution without receiving a degree, and forthwith coxn- 
nieuced the study of the law, in William and Mary's College, Virginia, 
under Mr. St. George Tucker. In 1810 he entered the United States Army, 
and in 1811 was at Nashville, Tennessee, where he commenced the practice 
of law, and became one of General Jackson's staff in the militia, with the 
rank of Colonel. 

He soon after went to St. Louis, Missouri, to reside, where he connected 
himself with the press, as editor of a newspaper. He thoroughly identified 
liimself with the interests of the West, and became their leading and most 
prominent advocate. 

In 1820 he was elected to the United States Senate, and remained ia 
that body until the session of 1851, at which time he failed of re-election. 
As Missouri was not admitted into the Union as a State until August 10, 
1821, more than a year of Mr. Benton's term of service expired before he 
took his seat. He employed himself, during this interval, in acquiring a 
knowledge of the language and literature of Spain. Immediately after he 
appeared in the Senate, he took a prominent part in the deliberations of 
that body, and rapidly rose to eminence and distinction. Few public 
measures were discussed between the years 1821 and 1851, that he did not 
participate in largely ; and the influence he wielded was always felt and 
confessed by the country. 

He was one of the chief props and supporters of the administrations of 
General Jackson and Martin Van Buren. The Democrats of Missouri long 
clung to him as their apostle and leader, and it required a Herculean effort 
to defeat him. He had served thirty years, when others aspired to the 
honors he enjoyed, and he was, consequently, defeated. 

In 1852 he was a candidate from St. Louis for Representative to Congress, 
and was elected. He held his seat in that body for two years, when he 
retired, and devoted himself to the production and publication of two great 
works : " Thirty Years in the United States Senate," and " An Abridge- 
ment of the Debates in Congress." The latter he had hardly finished, when 
he died, at Washington, April 10, 1858. 

Mr. Benton was distinguished for great learning, an iron will, practical 
mind, and strong memory. His speeches, when written, were firmly fixed 
in his mind, so that he could repeat them accurately in public, without the 
manuscript/ which miglit be, at the time, in the printer's hands. 

As a public speaker, he was not interesting, or calculated to produce an 
effect on the passions of an audience. His parliamentary efforts were in- 
tended for flip closet rather than for tlie forum, and, when published, were 
read with avidity, always producing a decided influence.? e was indus- 
triou^ determined, and unyielding, with pockets overflowin th statistics, 
and his head full of historicallore. - 



87. JOSHUA B. GIDDINGS' 

Joshua R Giddings was bom in Athens, 'Bradford County, Pennsyl- 
vania, October 6, 1795. When he was ten years old, his parents removed 
to Ohio, and settled on the " Western Beserve," at Ashtabula. When 
seventeen years of age, he entered the army, as a substitute for his brother, 
and saw service ag'aiust the Indians. He afterward taught school, studied 
law, and was admitted to ihe bar in 1820. 

In 1826 Mr. Giddings commenced his political career, as a Representa- 
tive to the State Legislature ; but declining a re-election, he pursued his 
profession until 1838, when he was chosen a member of Congress, as a suc- 
cessor to his instructor, Mr. Whittelsey. 

Henceforward his career became identified with anti-Slavery. 

By the side of John Q. Adams, he defended the right of petition, declared 
for the abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia, and espoused the 
cause of territorial freedom. The slave power in Congress repressed his 
efforts in 1839, and in 1841 he got leave to speak against the Florida war, as 
a pro-Slavevy measure. 

In 1843 the celebrated Creole case occurred, in which the slaves on board 
a vessel of that name, sailing from Virginia for New Orleans, rose, and car- 
ried that vessel into a British port. 

Indemnification being demanded of the British Government, Mr. Gid- 
dings offered a series of resolutions, utterly denying the jui-isdiction of our 
Government in the case, or the violation of any law by the persons seeking 
to obtain their freedom. 

These resolutions created great excitement in the House. Mr. Botts, of 
"Virginia, offered a resolution of censure ; but objection being made to Mr. 
Botts, as a slave-State man, Mr. Weller, of Ohio, renewed the censure, 
which was passed, without waiting to hear Mr. Giddings, by a vote of 125 
to 69. Mr. Giddings thereupon resigned, and returned home ; but was 
immediately re-elected by the people of his district, and he returned in a 
few weeks to resume his duties in Congress. 

He was re-elected to each successive Congress till 1861, when he declined 
a nomination, and was appointed, by Mr. Lincoln, Consul-General for Can- 
ada, the duties of which office he discharged at Montreal until his death, 
from heart disease. May 27, 1864. 

Mr. Giddings was twenty-one years in Congress, and was always fore- 
most as a leader in opposition to slavery ; in fact, every measure, whether of 
compromise with, or recognition of the extension of slavery, met with his 
strenuous opposition. 

In addition to his forensic labors, he published essays enforcing his 
arguments for freedom. He also published, " A History of the Rebellion, 
its Authors, and Causes." 

Mr. Giddings was a man of ardent temperament, and, like all the lenders 
in the great reform which led to the abolition of slavery, was so persistently 
held up to obloquy, that it is difiicult, oven yet, to credit them with the 
Jmpai-tial verdict whicli truth and history will awar(J. - 



88. WILLIAM L. MARCY. 

WiLLiA'M L. Marcy was born iu Sturbridge (now Soutbbridge), Mas^ 
sachusetts, December 12, 1786. 

He received bis academical education at Leicester, and entered Brown 
University, Providence, Rbode Island, wbere be graduated in 1808. 

He taught scbool for a while in Newport, studied law and commenced 
pracice m'Troy, New York. He heartily approved the policy of Jeffer- 
son and Madison, and the principles of the Republican party. 

On the breaking out of the war of 1812 be enlisted, was appointed 
lieutenant and marched to the northern frontier, where he took the first 
prisoners (on land) during the war, which were retained. Gen. Cass hav- 
ing previously captured some, and lost them again. 

During the Avar, he brought himself into general notice by a series of 
articles which he wrote and published (in the Albany Argus) over the sig- 
nature of "Vindex," in justification of the w^ar, Avhich were characterized 
by great research and unusual force of argument. He early formed the 
acquaintance of IMartin Van Buren, which ripened into intimacy. He 
was appointed Recorder o*" Troy in 1816, and m 1821 was appointed Adju- 
tant General of tlie State of New York. In 1823 he was chosen Coini> 
troller, and removed to Albany. 

He was appointed Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the 
State in 1829, and in 1881 was elected United States Senator, where al- 
most the first act of his senatorial career was to defend his friend Van 
Buren, who liad been appointed to the English Mission. 

In 1832 he was elected Governor of New York, and re-elected in 1834. 
He was again nominated for that office in 1838, but was defeated b}^ Wm. 
H. Seward, the Whig candidate. He was appointed by President Van 
Buren one of the Commissioners to decide upon the claims against the 
Mexican government. In 1845 he was appointed Secretary of War, by 
President Polk, which he held during his administration. His services 
during the Mexican war were of great value to the President and the na- 
tion. From 1853 to 1857 he was Secretary of State under President 
Pierce. 

He was a member of the "Albany Regency," and had the reputation 
of being a shrewd political tactician, and probably has never been sur- 
passed in this respect, by any of the politicians of New York, except 
Martin Van Buren. He was not a graceful speaker, but as a writer he 
ranked high. His style was strontr clear and perspicuous, flowinf? with 
ease and elegance. He died at Ballston Spa, New York, July 4, 1857. 



89. DAVID CEOCKET. 

David Ckocket, the eccentric, laughter-loving, fun-making backwoods- 
man, of whom more amusing stories have been told than of any other man 
in our country, was born at the mouth of Limestone E,iver, Green Connty, 
Tennessee, August 17, 1786. lie was of Irish descent, and the natural 
humor of that race appears in every passage of our hero's life. 

At the time of his birth. East Tennessee was a mere wilderness, and 
David grew up without the means of education, save such as an occasional 
month at some rustic school, or the lessons taught him in his own rude 
home, afforded. When he was seven years of age, his father became sud- 
denly bankrupt, by a conflagration, when he removed to Jefferson County, 
and opened a small public house. Here the boy remained, helping his 
father, until about twelve years of age, when he was hired out to a Dutch- 
man, as a drover-boy, of whom he soon became tired, and ran away. After 
wandering about for some time, and getting much rough usage, he reached 
his father's house, where he remained for one year, when he ran away from 
home, and joined another cattle-drover, bound for Western Virginia, who 
turned him loose at the end of his journey, with only four dollars in his 
pocket. 

Now (to use his own language) he commenced "knocking about for him- 
self ;" and for three years did young Crocket " knock about," when he 
returned home, went to school a few weeks, fell in love several times, unsuc- 
cessfully, and at length was married in 1810, and became a father. He 
lived at first with his wife's mother, working a little, and hunting a great 
deal, for his subsistence. 

After two years he set up his own cabin on Elk River, where he culti- 
vated a few acres for his bread, and ranged the forest for his meat. 

In 1813 he enlisted as a volunteer under General Jackson, and was in 
several hard-fought battles, the foremost among the brave. His merriment, 
his Dutch anecdotes, and bear stories, his wonderful shooting, his fortitude, 
and his courage, made him a universal favorite, and the very life of the 
camp. 

At the close of the war he was honored with the title of Colonel, elected 
Justice of the Peace, and afterward sent to the Legislature, where he be- 
came celebrated as the "Member from the Cane." 

He soon removed to Western Tennessee, where ho became the " crack 
shot of all those diggins." 

In 1828 he was elected Representative to Congress, and re-elected in 
1830. At Washington he was a conspicuous personage, and became very 
popular with the members, being the only genuine backwoodsman ever in 
Congress. 

He afterward enlisted in the Texan cause, and died fighting for its in- 
dependence. After defending a fort for ten hours against tremendous odds, 
he surrendered to Santa Anna, who ordered him to be murdered, and he 
fell, pierced by ten swords. 

Colonel Crocket was brave and generous to a fault. At a time of great 
scarcity, ho took a load of corn to his " old sturaping-ground." When a 
man came to buy his corn, the first question he asked was : " Have you tlie 
money to pay for it P* If answered, " yes," Davy's reply was : "You can't 
have a kernel : I b'l'oHght it to gell to p«?ople who have no ratmey !" 



90. WILLIAM R KING-. 

William K. King was born in North Carolina, in 1786. He was not a 
brilliant boy ; but, by constant application, ho was enabled to surmount 
difficulties at which many a genius would have stumbled and fallen. At a 
very early age he entered into political life, and his fellow-citizeus showed 
their estimation of his abilities and honesty, by intrusting him with several 
minor offices, the faithful discharge of the duties of which led them to select 
him to represent their interests in Congress, before he was twenty-five 
years of age. 

In 1811 Mr. King went to the United States House of Representatives, 
and served acceptably to his constituents for two terms. Not long after the 
close of this service, he removed into the Territory of Alabama, then about 
to become a State. When it was admitted into the Union, he was chosen 
United States Senator from the new State, and continued for twenty -five 
years, without intermission, a most faithful, diligent, and consistent member 
of that body. 

In 1844, President Tyler appointed him Minister to France, where he 
represented his country with great credit and satisfaction, and was received 
bj'- Louis Phillippe with marked distinction. He returned to the United 
States in 1847, and was called again to the National Senate, by the 
citizens of Alabama, in 1849. This was the commenoement of the adminis- 
tration of President Taylor, as President of the United States, by whose 
untimely death it passed into the hands of Mr. Filmore. Mr. King was 
chosen to succeed Mr. Filmore, as President pro tern, of the Senate, and, 
consequently, acting Vice-President of the United States. 

At the Democratic Convention which met at Baltimore in 1852, Mr. 
King was nominated for Vice-President, with Franklin Pierce, of New Hamp- 
shire, for President, and was elected. But he was not permitted to enjoy 
his new and well-deserved honor. His health, which had long been pre- 
carious, now failed him altogether, and his disease assumed the most alarm- 
ing symptoms. 

He soon found himself the doomed victim of that scourge of our climate, 
consumption. After trying the usual remedies, without success, he was 
pent to Cuba, at the expense of the Government, to try the effect of change 
of climate. But death had marked him for his own, and he returned just 
in season to expire in the bosom of his family, at the age of sixty-seven, in 
the year 1853. 



91. DE WITT CLINTON. 

De Witt Clinton was born in the State of New York, March 2, 1769. 
He entered Columbia College in 1784, as a junior, and graduated, in 178(5, 
the first scholar in his class. 

He studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1789, opening his office 
in New York City. Scarcely, however, had he commenced, practice when 
he received an appointment as Private Secretary to his uncle. Governor 
Clinton. Thus introduced to political life, he pursued it until death. 

In 1797 he was elected a Member of the Assembly, from New York City, 
and the next year was sent to the State Senate. While in this office he 
signalized himself as a ready and forcible debater. 

In 1802 he was elected to the United States Senate. He held this office 
during two sessions, when he resigned, having been elected Mayor of New 
York City. While in the Senate ho gave his support to Mr. Jefferson and 
his party. 

Mr. Clinton continued in the office of Mayor until 1815, with the excep- 
tion of two years. During this time he was repeatedly sent to the Senate 
of his native State, where he introduced a number of important laws, and 
developed his plan of internal improvement. 

In 1811 he was elected Lieutenant-Governor, and while an incumbent 
of that office he ran as candidate for President of the United States, in 
opposition to Mr. Madison, but was unsuccessful. 

In 1818 he was elected Governor of New York almost without opposition, 
and was re-elected in 1820. On the adoption of the new Constitution, he 
retired from office, but was again elected Governor in 1824, and retained the 
office until his death. 

Meanwhile the gi'cat project of Mr. Clinton had been carried forward to 
its grand consummation, and the autumn of 1825 witnessed the triumphant 
completion of " The Great Erie Canal," when a current of joy ran through 
the entire length of the land. 

Mr. Clinton was the patron and friend of popular education, agriculture, 
commerce, internal improvements, the arts and sciences, and for provisions 
for the insane, for the sick, for the blind, and the convict. His was a most* 
versatile mind, and he seemed proficient in whatever department of civil or 
political life he happened to be placed. He had a word for all occasions, 
and a hand for every good work. 

On the 11th of February, 1828, while conversing with his family in his 
study, he expired instantly of disease of the heart. 

The name of De Witt Clinton is forever associated with progress. His 
enduring monument is the great Erie Canal, a work, for its time, never 
excelled in this country ; and whether it may be destined to fall more and 
more into desuetude, or become a source of more extended use — by being 
enlarged, so as to admit of shipping to pass from the Atlantic to the 
lakes— it will forever stand out as one of the giant creations of a colossal 
mind. 



92. EUFUS CHOATE. 

KUFUS CnOATE was bom in Ipswich, Massachusetts, October 1, 1799. 

He entered Dartmouth Colleg-e in 1815, and graduated, with much eclat, 
in 1819. After leaving- colleg-e, he was chosen Tutor, which he shortly after 
resigned, and entered the Law School at Cambridge. 

Afterward he studied a year with Mr. Wirt, and completed his studies 
with Judge Cummins, of Salem. He commenced practice in the town of 
Danvers, in 1824, and distinguished himself as an advocate. 

Ills legal arguments, replete with knowledge, conducted with admirable 
skill, evincing uncommon power in the analysis and application of evidence, 
blazing with the blended fires of imagination and sensibility, and delivered 
with a rapidity and animation of manner which swept along the m.ind3 of 
his hearers on the torrent of his eloquence, made him one of the most suc- 
cessful advocates in the country. His manner was now impetuous, violent ; 
anon, soft as a woman's ; now stirring the intellect and the passions ; then 
touching with the sweetest pathos the seals of the heart's deepest wells, 
until they melt away, and suffer all the waters of tenderness to come gush- 
ing up into the eyes of the listener. All this was aided by a voice sometimes 
sweeter than any flute, and presently as stirring as the blast of a trumpet. 
"When he addressed a jury, or a popular assembly, he brought to his aid the 
entire anatomy of his frame — lips, eyes, arms, and legs; even the very gar- 
ments which he wore. 

His political life commenced in 1825, when he was chosen a m.ember of 
the House of Representatives in the General Court of Massachusetts. In 
1827 he was sent to the Senate, where he soon took a prominent part in the 
debates, and the energy and sagacity which he displayed gave him a wide 
reputation. 

In 1883 he was elected a member of Congress from the Essex district. 
He declined a re-election, and in 1834 removed to Boston, to devote himself 
to his profession. He soon took a position among the most eminent lawyers 
at the Suffolk bar ; and for seven years his legal services were in continual 
demand. 

In 1841, on the retirement of Mr. "Webster from the United States 
Senate, he was elected to fill his place by a large majority of the Massa- 
chusetts Legislature. After he resigned his seat in the Senate, he gave 
himself up wholly to his profession. 

He was, for a time, Kegent of the Smithsonian Institute, but resigned the 
position. 

The country has produced but few men who ranked higher as an orator, 
nnd a close, logical reasoner, than the Hon. Hufus Choate, " the great 
Massachusetts lawyer." 

Ho died at Halifax, Nova Scotia, while on his way to Europe for his 
health, July 12, 1859. 



93. SAMUEL "APPLETON. 

Samuel Appleton, one of the mercnant princes of BostonTwlio for 
many years commanded the respect of all the citizens of that busy city, and 
whose charities, by thousands, have fallen, like refreshing rain, on many a 
blighted heart, was bom in New Ipswich, New Hampshire, June 22, 1706. 
His early education was acquired at a district school, and completed at six- 
teen years of age. He worked on the farm with his father until he was 
twenty-two. 

Believing that a mercantile life would be more congenial to his tastes, 
he decided to become a merchant. After trying the coiintry a few years, 
he removed to Boston, where he was remarkably successful. 

He began business on the principle that a straightforward, open, and 
honest course was the best, nay, the only one, and he never forsook it. 

No man ever lived a life of trade in a more honorable manner. His con- 
fidence in man was almost unlimited. 

Rev. Mr. Peabody once said to him : " Mr. Appleton, what is your 
opinion of the honesty of mankind ?" " Very favorable," he replied ; " very 
generally, I think, they mean to be honest. I have never in my life met 
with more than three or four cases in which I thought a man intended to 
be dishonest in dealing with me." 

, As early as 1823, feeling that his wealth was sufficient, he resolved that 
his fortune should no longer be increased, and he devoted his whole income 
to charity. Reserving a fair amount to support the expenses of his house- 
hold, and to gratify a taste for travel, he consecrated the balance sacredly 
to the purpose of making glad the hearts of the widow and fatherless, and 
aiding the destitute. Thus his charities amounted in the last years of his 
life to tens of thousands annually. The poor were sought out and relieved. 
None ever left his door empty-handed, who could show that they really re- 
quired assistance. 

The following an(!cdote illustrates the nice sense of justice always cher- 
ished by Mr. Appleton : 

A favorite nephew, to whom he had bequeathed in his will a large pro- 
portional amount of his estate, died before him ; and, by the terms of the 
will, a half-sister, between whom and Mr. Appleton there was no blood- 
relationship, became entitled to these bequests. 

The executor called Mr. Appleton's attention to the fact, thinking that 
he might wish to make some change in the disposition of his property. 
After taking the subject into full consideration, his reply was: " If, in the 
other world, there is any knowledge of what is done in this, I should not 
like to have my nephew, whom I loved and trusted, find that ray first act, 
on learning his death, is the revocation, or curtailment, of a bequest made 
in his favor, and which, if ho had survived me, would have eventually bene- 
fited her who was nearest and dearest to him." 

Mr. Appleton's death occurred on the 12th of July, 1853, in the eighty- 
eighth year of his age. 



?r 



94. DANIEL S. DICKINSON. 

Daniel S. Dickinson was born, September 11, 1800, at Goshen, Litch- 
field County, Connecticut. 

In 1807 his father's family removed to Chenango County, New York, 
when, with no better advantages than those offered by the common school, 
Daniel educated himself, not only as a school-teacher, but, by the time he 
was of age, had mastered the Latin language, and the higher branches of 
mathematics, and other sciences. 

In 1822 he married a lady of fine intellectual attainments, and turning 
his attention to the study of the law, was admitted to the bar in 1828, and 
entered upon the practice of his profession at Binghampton, N. Y., success- 
fully competing with the ablest lawyers of the State. 

In ISoiy he was elected to the State Senate for four years, and, though 
one of the youngest members, he speedily became the leader of his party — 
the Democratic. He was, also, Tresident of the Court for the Correction of 
Errors. 

In 1842 he was elected, by a large majority, Lieutenant-Governor of the 
State of New York; and in that capacity, as President of the Senate, then 
constituting the above Court, gave frequent opinions of importance. 

In 1844 he was chosen an Elector of President of the United States, 
casting his vote for Polk and Dallas. The same year he was elected to the 
L nited States Senate, and took an important part in the debates of that 
body, and was Chairman of the Finance Committee. 

In 18o2 he received the vote of Virginia for the Presidency, at the Bal- 
timore Convention, but declined in favor of General Cass, in a speech re- 
markable for its classic taste and style. 

President Pierce nominated him as Collector of the Port of New York, 
but this lucrative post he also declined. 

At tlie close of his Senatorial term, he resumed with energy the practice 
of his profession ; and, on the commencement of the Rebellion, he arrayed 
himself with alacrity on the side of the Union. It was now that his voice 
was heard arousing his countrymen to the defense of the Government ; and 
some estimation may be formed of his labors when it is known that he de- 
livered, for the Union cause, no less than one hundred addresses, each pre- 
senting distinct and eloquent features. 

^ l^^l lie was nominated by the Republican party for Attorney-General 
of the State, and was elected by about one hundred thousand majority votes. 
President Lincoln nominated him to settle thd Oregon question, which 
honor he dechned ; and Governor Fen ton tendered him the Judgeship of the 
Court of Appeals, which he also declined. 

One of the last acts of President Lincoln was to offer him the office of 
bmtcd States District Attorney for the Southern District of Ne\%^ York, 
winch he accepted, and the duties of which he continued to perform almost 
up to the day of his death. 

As a debater, Mr. Dickinson was among the first— being clear, profound, 
and logical in""' — ™--.i- tt- , " » . » > r- » 



ana logical in argument. His speeches were frequently enriched by classical 
I,,;'' ''"^'^''^■f .^^ot^tions, evincing the great extent of his reading. Socially, 
I;. i:l ., .\^''*._*/\^ '^?''^ entertaining of companions. His chief characteris- 
ii-cat events of the close of his life, was his honest 
He died in the City of New York, April 12, l^GG. 



95. DANIEL BOONE. 

Daniel Boone, the hardy and brave pioneer, and founder of Kentucky, 
Avas born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in 1748. 

While yet a mere boy, his father moved with him to North Carolina. 
The wild and daring spirit, love of adventure, and fearless intrepidity 
which characterized his raaturer life, were displayed very early. 

On the 1st day of May, 17G9, Boone, with a few neighbors, started for 
the Western wilderness, and at length located on the banks of the Red 
River, in Kentucky. 

He was several times taken prisoner by the Indians, but he had the tact 
to conciliate them, and the ingenuity to contrive his escape. 

Enduring much by reason of hunger and privation, toiling early and 
late to reduce the savage waste to a condition of cultivation, he acquired 
such a passion for his wild and adventurous life, that when, in 1792, Ken- 
tucky was admitted into the Union, he struck out further into the wilder- 
ness, and settled in St. Charles, Missouri, forty-five miles above St. Louis. 

Being asked why he left the comforts of a home he had redeemed from 
savage life, for the renewed trials of a wilderness home, he replied : " Oh, I 
am too crowded ; I must have more elbow-room !" 

He was often employed by the Government on missions of hostile and 
friendly intent among the Indians, in all of which he exhibited a statesman- 
ship and courage which won for him the approval of his employers and the 
admiration of his savage foes. He resided in his last home about fifteen 
years, when, losing his wife, who had shared with him all his perilous life, 
iie went to spend the remnant of his days with his son, Major Nathan 
Bo.m", where he died in 1822. 

While residing in North Carolina, being about eighteen years of age, he, 
in company with another yoiith, got up a " fire-hunt," which is conducted 
as follows : One of the party rides through the forest, with a lighted torch 
swinging above his head, while the other lies in covert, and gives a signal 
when he descries a deer for the other to hold the torch stationary, which 
fixes the eyes of the wondering animal upon it, when he plants a ball ber 
tween them, and the deer falls a victim to its own curiosity, On this occa^ 
sion, Boone was in covert, when he saw a pair of eyes through the dim 
shade of the trees, leveled his rifle, and gave the signal, when, to his aston- 
ishment, the animal turned and fled, and the brave hunter sprung from his 
hiding-place, and pursued the game over hill and valley, brake and thicket, 
until, at length, the affrighted and pursued object rushed into the house of 
his newly-settled neighbor, Ryan, followed by Boone, of whose confusion 
we may judge when he saw the object of his pursuit fainting with terror in 
the old man's ai-ms, for it was his beautiful and only daughter. 

We need not relate how he wooed and won the fair Rebecca, who came 
so near being the victim of his bullet. 

Boone's life was full of romantic and adventurous exploits. While away 
from his home in Kentucky, three Indians took his daughter and two other 
young ladies pi-isoners. Returning home, he commenced the pursiiit alone, 
overtook the party the following day, and, slajang two of the Indians, re- 
turned to the fort, bringing the fair captives with him. 



96. SILAS WEIGHT. 

Silas Wright, the 12th Governor of the State of New York, was born 
in Amherst, Massachusetts, May 24, 1795. 

His father removed to Waybridg-e, Vermont, when he was but a year old, 
where he was brought up on a farm. His rare natural endowments, pru- 
dence, discernment, and good judgment, early attracted his father's notice, 
and he determined to give him a liberal education. Accordingly, he entered 
an academy when he was fourteen years of age, and graduated at Middle- 
bury College in 1815. 

Self-reliance was early taught him, and it became one of the brightest 
traits of his character. 

He took a deep interest in the political questions that excited the public 
mind during tlie War of 1812, and took sides with the republican party. 

He studied law in Albany, and commenced its practice in Canton, New 
York, where he always resided. 

La^, with him, was common sense. He always gave a plain, sensible 
reason for his opinion on any subject. 

In State politics, he was an ardent anti-Clinton man, or Bucktail, and a 
wann admirer of Mr. Van Buren. 

He Avas appointed to the office of Surrogate for St. Lawrence County, 
February 21, 1821 ; elected State Senator in 1824, and Member of Congress 
in 1827. 

Upon matters of finance he was always at home. He was placed upon 
the Committee of Manufactures, and reported the Tariff bill of 1828, and 
supported it in several able speeches. His ablest effort was made on the 
Gth of March, and commanded great attention. He afterward regretted liis 
vote, and pronounced it a great error. 

He wa£ a cordial and influential supporter of Andrew Jackson in 1828. 
In 1829 he filled the office of Comptroller of the State of New York, and 
January 4, 1833, was elected United States Senator, to fill the place of Gor- 
ci'nor ]\Iarcy. 

He sustained President Jackson in his removal of the United States de- 
posits from the United States Bank to the State Banks, and recommended 
the Independent Treasury system to Mr. Van Buren in 1837. 

He continued United States Senator until 1844, when he was elected 
Governor of New York by the Democratic party. 

Ho was offered the nomination of Vice-President with Mr. Polk, but re- 
fused to accept it. 

Ho retired from the Gubernatorial chair in 1846 to his furm^ where he 
died, August 27, 1847, of disease of the heart. 



97. LEWIS CASS. 

Lewis Cass %vas bom in Exeter, New Hampshire, October 9, 1782. 
Having received his education at the far-famed academy of his native vil- 
lage, at the early age of seventecm, he crossed the Alleghany Mountains on 
foot to seek a home in " the land of promise" — the " great West," then an 
almost unexplored wilderness. 

He settled in Marietta, Ohio, in 1799, studied law with Governor Meigs, 
was admitted to the bar in 1803, and became successful and distinguished. 
Elected to the Legislature of Ohio in 1800, he was active and prominent in that 
body, and originated the bill which arrested the proceedings of Aaron Burr ; 
and, as stated by Mr. Jefferson, was the first blow given to what is known 
as "Burr's Conspiracy." In 1807 he was appointed, by Mr. Jefferson, Marshal 
of the State, and held this office till the later part of 1811, when he volun- 
teered to repel Indian aggressions on the frontier. 

lie was elected Colonel of the Third Regiment of Ohio Volunteers, and 
entered the military service of the United States at the commencement of 
the War of 1812. Having, by a difficult march, reached Detroit, he was dis- 
dinguished for energy, activity, and courage. He urged the immediate 
invasion of Canada, and was the author of the proclamation of that event. 
He was the first to land in arms on the enemy's shore, and, with a detach- 
ment of troops, fought and won the first battle — that of Toronto. At the 
subsequent capitulation of Detroit he was absent on important service ; but, 
though not present, he was involved in it, and became, with the rest, a 
prisoner of war. This greatly mortified him, and, for a time, terminated 
his activity. On being exchanged or released from parole, he was promoted 
to Brigadier in the Regular Army, and Major-General of the Ohio Volunteers, 
when he again repaired to the frontier and joined the army for the recovery 
of Michigan. Being at that time without a command, he served and dis- 
tinguished himself as a Volunteer Aid to General Harrison at the battle of 
the Thames, which retrieved the previous reverses of the American arms on 
the frontier. In 1813 he was api^ointed, by President Madison, Military 
Governor of Michigan, which position he held until 1831, establishing law 
and order, preserving peace between the whites and the Indians, and advanc- 
ing the resources and prosperity of the country. 

Few Americans have been more extensively and successfully engaged 
in that delicate and difficult kind of diplomacy, " negotiations with Indian 
tribes," than Mr. Cass, he having assisted at no less than ten councils with 
the red men of the wilderness. In 1831 he was called by President Jackson 
to his Cabinet, as Secretary of War. In 1830 he was appointed Minister to 
Erance, in which capacity he rendered eminent and valuable service by his 
celebrated protest against the " Quintuple Treaty," which, under the pretext 
of breaking up the slave trade, provided for an indiscriminate search on the 
high seas. Pie resigned in 1842, and was elected to the United States Senate 
in 1845, which place he resigned on being nominated by the Democratic 
party for President, in 1848. -rr 

Being defeated, he was again elected to the Senate, in 1849. In this posi- 
tion he greatly distinguished himself as an able, eloquent, and ready 
debater. In 1857 he was appointed, by President Buchanan, Secretar}-- of 
State, which position he held until December, 1800, when he resigned, be- 
cause Mr. Buchanan refused to reinforce Eort INIoultrie, and retired to 
Detroit, never afterward taking active part in public affairs. ^ 

Mr. Cass was extremely temperate in his habits, never, in the slightest 
degree, indulging in the use of ardent spirits. He died, June 17, 1800.' 



93. CHAELES G. ATHEETON. 

Charles G. Atheuton was bom in Amherst, New Hampshire, in 1804. 
His early education was received at liome. His mother, a woman of uncom- 
mon g-ift and piety, assumed the whole charge of her son's education, and 
taug-ht him ihe rudiments of the English as well as the Latin tongue. 

When of a suitable age to be sent from home, he went to the Academy 
at Lancaster, Massachusetts, at that time a school of much celebrity, and 
under the charge of Jared Sparks, the remowned biographical historian. 

Here he remained until 1817, when, losing his mother, he returned home ; 
and, finishing his preparations for college in his father's office, entered Har- 
vard University, in 1818, and graduated in 1822. He immediately began the 
study of law in his father's office ; was admitted to the bar in 1825 ; and 
opened an office in Dunstable, N. H. (In 183G the name of this town was 
changed to Nashua.) 

Here, for the space of four years, he assiduously applied himself to the 
duties of his profession, and had the satisfaction of finding his business 
widely extending, and his fame as a lawyer rapidly rising at the bar of his 
native State. 

In 1829 he was nominated by the Democratic party as a candidate for 
State Representative, but failed to be elected. 

The next year, however, he was elected ; and the two following suffered 
defeat; but was chosen Clerk of the Senate for both those years. In 1833 
he was re-elected to the House of Representatives, and was called upon to 
preside over the deliberations of that body. 

He wfis re-elected in 1834, '35, and '36, and in each year was chosen Speaker 
— an office he filled with great dignity and impartiality, as well as with the 
entire approbation of the House. In 1837, Mr. Atherton was transferred to 
the United States House of Representatives, holding his seat until 1842, 
when ho was elected to the United States Senate for six years. 

Having served out his term to the entire satisfaction of his constituency 
in the Granite State, as well as to the party generally, in the country, he 
retired to Nashua in 1849, and engaged in the active duties of his profes- 
sion, where he acquired considerable celebrity as a sound lawyer and an 
able advocate. 

In 1852 he was elected once more to the upper branch of Congress, and 
took his scat on the 4th of March following. 

He did not live, however, to serve out his term, for on the 15th day of 
November of that year he died, in the fiftieth year of his age. 



V 



99. JOHN DAYIS. 

John Davis was born in Northboro', Massachusetts, January 13, 1787. 

He went through the ordinary preparation, and entered Yale College in 
18C8, and graduated with much credit to himself in 1812. After a due 
course of legal reading, he opened a law office in Worcester, Mass., in 1815. 

Rising steadily in his profession, his unselfish and honest course of life 
elevated him to a high position in the esteem of all who knew him. 

He took a deep and lively interest in all the institutions of his adjpted 
town, and his voice, his influence, and his example, were ever on the side of 
all great reforms. 

Education received his fostering care, while the Asylum for the Insane 
and the Antiquarian Society, which had been established in Worcester, 
became the objects of his patronage and practical solicitude. 

He commenced his political career in 1825 as Representative to the Con- 
gress of the United States, which position he held eight years. 

Here he soon experienced the proud satisfaction of knowing that the 
weight of m.oral character is more than that of mere political influence. 
He commanded the entire respect of both parties, and when he rose to 
address the Chair, he received the silent and respectful attention of all 
parts of the House. 

In 1834, he was chosen Governor of Massachusetts, and was re-elected in 
1835. In 1836 he was elected to the United States Senate, and in 1841 was 
again chosen Grovernor, which office he held for three successive terms. 

On the death of Senator Bates, he was elected to fill the unexpired term 
of that gentleman in the United States Senate, and was re-elected for a 
second term to the same body for six years, at the expiration of which time 
he retired to the bosom of his family to spend the evening of his days, free 
from the entanglements of politics and the labors and vexations of public 
office, and to repose on his well-earned laurels. He did not live long to en- 
joy that repose, for he died suddenly, at Worcester, April 19, 1854, aged 
sixty-seven. 

The name of John Davis was a synonym of all that was noble and manly 
in life. It passed into a by-word and a proverb, until he was known every- 
where in the whole land as " Honest John Davis." He attained this fame 
by a long and uninterrupted course of single, straightforward, honest deal- 
ing in all the actions of his life. 

He was, for thirty years, mixed up with the principal political actors of 
our country, without a soil or stain, nor even a mark of the fire on his moral 
robes. 



' 



100. EDWAED EYEEETT. 

Edward Everett was born in Dorchester, Massachusetts, in April, 

1794. * , , , 

lie entered Harvard College at the age of thirteen, and graduated at 
seventeen, Avith the hi-hcst honors of his class. Having studied divinity, 
he was ordained pastor of Brattle Square Unitarian Society, in Boston, 
Massachusetts, where he officiated for two years, with great popularity. 
Here he acquired the habit of "memoritor" speaking, for which he was 
always after so remarkable — not having been known, in a single instance, 
to consult his notes for over a quarter of a century. 

In 1814, having accepted the office of Greek Professorship of Harvard 
College, he traveled in Europe four years, spending more than two years at 
the famous University of Gottingen. On his return, in 1819, he entered 
at once upon the duties of his Professorship, in the discharge of which he 
won the reputation of being the first Greek scholar of the age. 

He soon after became editor of the North American Review, and infused 
into its dying pages new life, elevating its literary tone and character, and 
vindicating .^American principles and institutions against British travelers 
and critics. 

In 1824 he delivered the annual oration before the Phi Beta Kappa So- 
ciety, at Cambridge, Massachusetts. The peroration (being dedicated 
to Lafayette, who was present) touched a chord of sympathy which brought 
the whole audience rising to their feet, and, with tears of gratitude, gave 
the veteran hero such a welcome shout as none but j)atriot hearts ever feel, 
and patriot lips express. 

In 1825 he was sent to Congress from the Middlesex district, and con- 
tinued to occupy his seat for ten years. In 1835 he retired from Congress, 
and was elected Governor of Massachusetts for four successive years. In 
1841 he was appointed Minister to England, for which position he was pre- 
eminently qualified. 

On his return, in :'S45, he was elected President of Harvard College, 
which position he resigned in 1849. On the death of Daniel Webster, in 
1852, ho was appointed Secretary of State, by President Filmore, which 
office he resigned for a seat in the United States Senate. This position he 
also resigned in 1855. He afterward added to his reputation by delivering 
orations on the Life of Washington, and other topics, all being for charita- 
ble purposes. 

Ho was the intimate friend of Daniel Webster, and wrote the best life 
extant of that distinguished man. 

In 1860 he was nominated for Vice-President, by the Union party, but 
was defeated. Mr. Everett's greatest days were his last. He then broke 
away from his own traditions and associations, and raountod to that wise, 
largo patriotism which has guided twenty loyal millions to life and glory. 
Ho waited not till victory crowned our arms, but in those first days his 
clarion voice sounded over the land for the victory of our arms. 

His voice was last heard January 12, 18G5, for the relief of the Savannah 
suflerers, where he caught a cold that terminated his life, January 15, 1865. 



101. JOHN J. CEITTENDEN. 

John J. Crittenden was born in September, 1786, in Woodford 
County, Kentucky. When quite young he entered the army, and during 
the war of 1812 he served as Major, under General Hopkins, and as aid-de- 
camp to Governor Shelby, at the battle of the Thames. After studying 
law, he opened an office in Frankfort, Kentucky, where he speedily rose to 
a high position in his profession. He served a number of years in the 
State Legislature, and was chosen Speaker. 

His uncommon talents, combined with the ease and fluency of his public 
address, made him a popular man with his party ; while his sound judg- 
ment, and powers of close, cogent argument, marked him as a growing 
lawyer and budding statesman. 

In 1817 he was elected by the Whig party to the Senate of the United 
States. 

After two years' service he returned to Frankfort, and for the space of 
sixteen years devoted himself to the duties of his profession, and rose to 
the highest rank as a lawyer, being retained in all the most difficult and 
abstruse legal questions which came before the courts of Kentucky. During 
this period he occasionally served in the Legislature. 

In 1835 he was once more called into public life by an election to the 
United States Senate, from which time he continued to serve his country in 
various capacities until his death. He occupied his seat in the Senate for 
six years, and in 1841 was appointed, by President Harrison, Attorney- 
General of the United States ; but, in September, 1841, Mr. Tyler having 
succeeded General Harrison to the Presidency, he resigned, with other 
members of the Cabinet, and retired to private life. 

He was soon, however, called, by the Legislature, to resume his seat in 
the Senate of the United States, in 1842, to fill an unexpired term ; and waa 
again elected, to serve for six years from 1843 ; but, in 1848, having received 
the Whig nomination for Governor of Kentucky, he retired from the Senate, 
and was elected to that office, which he held until his appointment as Attor- 
ney-General by President Filmore. 

This position he held throughout that administration, discharging its 
duties with a fidelity and ability alike honorable to himself and the Govern- 
ment he helped to administer. He was again elected to the United States 
Senate in 1855, for the term ending March 4, 1861, and was, when he re- 
tired, the olclest member of that body. 

He was elected, in 1860, a Representative from Kentucky to the Thirty- 
seventh Congress. 

Daring the excitement in Congress preceding the seceding of the South- 
ern States, Mr. Crittenden brought forward his plan of adjusting the diffi- 
culty, which were designated as "The Crittenden Compromise Measures." 
They were not accepted, and when the Rebellion commenced, Mr. Crittenden 
was found on the side of the Union. He died July 25, 1863. 



10-2. ALBEET S. JOHNSTON. 

General At-bert Sidney Johnston was born in the year 1803, in Macon 
County, Kentucky, and received his early education at thcJTransylvania 
University, in that State. 

At the age of nineteen he entered the West Point academy as a cadet, 
and graduat'ed on the oOth of June, 1820. He was breveted Second Lieu- 
tenant in the Second Infantry, but was subsequently transferred, in 1827, 
to the Sixth Infantry, and served as Adjutant of his regiment from 1828 to 
18o2. From May 8 to the year 1833, he was Aid to Brigadier-General At- 
kinson. ... '* 

On the 31st of Ma}^, 1834, he resigned his commission in the Regular 
Army, and went to reside in Missouri. 

In 1830 he emigrated to Texas, arriving there shortly after the battle of 
San Jacinto. There, alone, and perfectly unknown, he determined to begin 
a new career. At the time he entered Texas, an intestine war was raging, 
and, without hesitation, he entered the Republican army, in General Rusk's 
division, as a private soldier. The General speedily discovered his abilities, 
and made him Adjutant-General of his command. Subsequently, he was 
made senior Brigadier-General of the Texan arm}'", and was appointed to 
succeed General Felix Hoxiston in the chief command. 

In 1838 he was chosen Secretary of AVar of the new Republic, under 
President Lamar ; and the following year he organized an expedition against 
the Cherokees, seven hundred strong, who were defeated at a battle on the 
Neuches. 

In 1840 he retired from the service, and settled on a plantation in Bra- 
zonia County, near Galveston. Here he remained, quietly attending to his 
new home, until the Mexican War broke out, in 1846, when, at the request 
of General Taylor, he allowed his daring spirit to again find vent in the 
battle-field, and was elected Colonel of the First Texas Regiment, serving 
as such from June 18, to August 24, 1846, when he v.-as appointed Aid and 
Inspector-General to General Butler, and in that capacity he was in the 
famous battle of Monterey; where, during the fight, his horse was three 
times shot under him. 

On the declaration of peace, he retired to his farm ; but, on the 31st of Oc- 
tober, 1849 he was appointed, by President Taylor, Paymaster of the Regular 
Army, with rank of Major. In the fall of 1857, he was appointed by President 
Buchanan to the command of the Utah Expedition, sent to quell the Mor- 
mons, who had shown much disturbance, where, for his ability, zeal, and 
energy, he was breveted Brigadier-General (dating from November, 1847), 
and full Commander of the Military District of Utah, and was afterward 
sent to California. 

When Texas seceded, he resigned his commission, joined the Confederate 
army, and was assigned to the command of the Department of Kentucky, 
with headquarters at Bowling Green. 

The fall of Fort Donaldson made the evacuation of Bowling Green imper- 
ative, and he joined General Beauregard at Corinth, where their united 
forces were prepared, early in April, to strike a heavy blow at the enemy, 
which was attempted on the field of Shiloh. 

General Johnston was in the advance, driving the enemy before him, 
j-hen at two o'clock of April 0, 18G2, a minnie-ball cut the artery of his leg. 
Mill he rode on, until, from loss of blood, he fell exhausted, and, at half-past 
two quietly breathed his last. Thus, early in the war, died one of the most 
fearless soldiers and ablest generals of the Rebel arm v. 



103. GEN. JOHN SEDGWICK. 

Gen. John Sedgwick was born at Cornwall, Connecticut, in 1815, 
graduated at "West Point, in 1837 ; was breveted Major and Captain for gal- 
lant conduct in the Mexican War ; and at the breaking out of the Rebellion 
held the position of Lieutenant in the United States Cavalry ; soon promoted 
to Colonel of the 4th Cavalry; and, in August, 1861, was commissioned 
Brigadier-General of Volunteers. As commander of the od Division of 
Sumner's Corps he participated in the Peninsular campaign, and particularly 
distinguished himself at Fair Oaks. 

Ho was wounded at Antietam, promoted to Major-General of Volunteers 
in December, 1802, and to the command of the Gth Army Corps in February, 
18G-J. During the Chancellorsville campaign he stormed and captured St. 
Marie Heights in the rear of Fredericksburg ; and, subsequently, after hard 
fighting against overwhelming numbers, bucceeded in crossing the Rap- 
pahannock with his command. He had an honorable share in the Gettys- 
burg campaign; and, in November, I860, was publicly thanked by General 
Meade for a well-executed movement on the Rapidan, by which he captured 
a whole Rebel division, with several guns and colors, and compelled Le(5 to 
retreat beyond the river. 

He took an active and important share in the battles of the "Wilderness, 
with which General Grant began his advance upon Richmond, in May, 1864. 
On Friday, the Gth, the second day of the fight, his corps was suddenly and 
fiercely assailed, and nearly two brigades under his command were swept 
away. The whole right wing, and, indeed, the whole army was in imminent 
peril, but Sedgwick, by incessant exertion and personal exposure, rallied his 
troops, and finally repulsed the enemy. On Saturday and Sunday the fight- 
ing was frequent and less severe. 

On Monday, there was comparative quiet. The array was entrenched 
near Spottsylvania Court-House, and General Sedgwick walked out to the 
advance of his breast-works to superintend the placing of his artillery. 
A constant humming of bullets from the Rebel sharp-shooters about this 
place, caused the soldiers in the works to dodge and duck their heads. 
The General smiled at them good-naturedly, and said, " Who ever heard of 
a soldier dodging a bullet ? Why, they could not hit an elephant at this 
distance." There was a laugh at this, and the General was still smiling at 
the banter, when one of his staft' heard the buzz of a bullet culminate in 
what seemed an explosion, close by his side. "That must have been an 
explosive bullet. General," he said. No answer. But as the General turned 
his face toward the officer, a sad smile was upon it ; in another instant he 
fell backward, lifeless — the bullet had entered his brain ! Thus died, May 
9, IS 64, one of the best examples of & practical soldier this war has pro- 
duced. 

General Sedgwick was a bachelor ; and probably on account of the ab- 
sence of marital ties, he attached himself more strongly to those with whom 
he was connected in the intimate relations of the camp. He lived among 
his staff like a father among children. He was exceedingly quiet in his 
deportment, and in matters pertaining to his profession he was fully posted. 

He thoroughly understood all the duties of a soldier, and could handle 
his coi'pa with a prompitude and decision not excelled by any other com- 
mander. His faithful performance of duty was instigated by a love of the 
profession, not from ambition for renown or position : for both had been 
offered bim, 



104. GENEEAL W. J. WOETH. 

"W. J. ■W'oRTn was born in New York in 1794. His early education \ras 
])lain and limited. At tlie age of fifteen he commenced his career as clerk 
to a merchant in Hudson, Kew York. Three years later, on the breaking 
out of the war of lb!l2, he enlisted in the ranks as a private soldier. He 
did not long remain in that hijrable station. His skill and energy, as well 
as his invincible courage, which even then began to appear, did not go 
unnoticed by his superiors, and he was, in a short time, promoted to a 
Lieutenancy in the Twenty-Third Regiment. 

His military career faixdy commenced at the battle of Chippewa, where 
his valor was rewarded by the brevet of Captain; and at the sanguinary 
battle of Lundy's Lane, his sword won for him a Major's commission. So 
rapidly did he rise, that in two years after he entered the ranks as a private, 
we find him spurring his charger across the field as a commissioned officer. 
On the promulgation of peace. Colonel Worth was appointed Superin- 
tendent of the Military School at West Point, which office he held until he 
was sent to Flox'idA to succeed General Armistead, in 1841. 

On assuming command in Florida, Colonel Worth immediately com- 
menced the most active and energetic measures; and on the 17th of April, 
1842, he forced the Indians to battle at Polaklaklaba, and so thoroughly 
whipped them that they could not afterwards be induced to meet him in 
anything like a fair fight. For his gallantry on this occasion he was bre- 
vetted Brigadier-General. 

On the commencement of hostilities in Mczico, General Worth was 
detached to Corpus Christi to join General Ta3'-lor. Dissatisfied with his 
relative position, he hastened to Washington, and resigned his commission. 
In the meantime, the gallant actions of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma 
had been telegraphed to the capital. Stung by remorse, that he should 
have suffered such fair fields whereon to gather laurels to escape him, he 
canceled his resignation, and, flying back to Mexico, reached the army 
while it was investing Monterey, 

Dividing his army into nearly two equal divisions, General Taylor lead- 
ing one, gave the other to the gallant Worth. They led their forces against 
the town in opposite directions. Worth carried all the forts on the Saltillo 
Road, and entered the streets just as the town capitulated to General Taylor, 
who had reached the Plaza on the other side. For his exploits here, Worth 
was made Brevet Major-General. At Molina Del Rey, by almost superhu- 
man efforts, he assaulted and successfully carried that nearly impregnable 
fortress. He also fought with distinction at Cerro Gordo, Cherubusco, 
and at the storming of the gates of Mexico. 

After facing death on so many battle-fields, he fell a victim to cholera, 
lit San Antonia de Bexar, Texas, May 7, 1849. 

Af.er Taylor and Scott, he was, perhaps, the most efficient — certainly, 
the most popular— of the Generals jn the war with Mexico. 



105. JAMES S. WAM>SWOETH. 

James S. Wardsworth was born in Geneseo, New York, October 30, 
1807. He was educated at Harvard and Yale Colleges, and studied law 
with McKeon & Denniston, at Albany, and afterward with Daniel Webster. 

He was admitted to the bar in 183o, to which profession, however, he 
did not give much of his time, for, having inherited an immense estate in 
one of the finest regions of Western New York, he devoted himself chiefly 
to its improvement. 

Although he never held office, he took a lively interest in the political 
questions of the day, and became a prominent member of the Republican 
l>arty. 

On the withdrawal of the seceding States from the Union, he was 
appointed one of the Commissioners to the Peace Conference which met in 
Washington, February 4, 18G1. 

He afterward, on the breaking out of the Rebellion, embarked heartily 
in the cause of the Union, and was proposed by Governor Morgan for a 
Major-Generalship, but he waived the honor in favor of General Dix. 

He served as volunteer aid to General McDowell at the first battle of 
Bull Run, displaying great gallantry and coolness, and, after having his 
horse shot under him, seized the colors of a panic-stricken regiment, and 
called upon the men to " rally ©nee more for the glorious Old Flag^ August 
9, 1861, he was commissioned Brigadier-General of Volunteers, and in 
March, 1862, was appointed Military Governor of the District of Columbia, 
and commander of the forces for the defense of Washington. 

That year he was nominated for Governor of New York, but was defeated 
by Horatio Seymour. 

lu December, 1863, he was assigned to the command of the Eleventh 
Army Corps, and took part in the battle of Chancellorsville, under General 
Hooker. At Gettysburg he commanded the First Division of the First 
Corp>, and distinguished himself by personal daring, and skillful manage- 
ment of his troops. 

On the first day of Grant's battles in the Wilderness, May 5, 1864, his 
division lost nearly a third of its numbers. On the next day, the Cth, he 
was ordered to attack A. P. Hill. 

For more than an hour the conflict raged fearfully ; success appeared to 
waver; and, finally, General Wardsworth ordered his men to charge. He 
was answered by cheer upon cheer, for his men knew that when gray- 
headed " Pap Wardsworth" rode into the fight, there was fighting to be 
done. 

Spurring his horse to the front, he was in the act of leading his troops, 
hat in hand, when a bullet struck him in the forehead, killing him instantly, 
May 0, 1864. 



r W ^ 



106. JESSE L. KENO. 

Jesse L. Reno, Major-General of Volunteers in the United States 
Army, was born in Virginia, in 1825. He was appointed a cadet in the 
Militti'ry Academy at West Point, from Pennsylvania, and graduated in 
1S4(!, and commissioned Brevet Second Lieutenant in the Ordnance Depart- 
ment. 

He served Avith distinction in the Mexican War, and was promoted for 
g-aUantry at Cerro Gordo. He commanded a howitzer battery at the storm- 
ing of Chcpultepec, in which engagement he was severely wounded, and 
breveted Caj^tain. At the close of the war he was appointed Assistant-Pro- 
fessor of Mathematics at West Point, where he remained but a short time, 
and was then appointed Secretary of the Board of Artillery. 

He was subsequently connected with the coast survey, and, upon with- 
drawing from that service, assisted in the construction of a military road 
from Big Sioux to St. Paul. 

He was promoted to be First Lieutenant of Ordnance, March 3, 1853. 
In 1854 he was stationed at the Frankford Arsenal, at Bridesburg, Penn., 
where he remained about three years ; and then accompanied General John- 
ston to Utah, as Ordnance Officer. He was stationed at the Mount Vernon 
arsenal in 1859, and, afterward, at Fort Leavenworth. 

In July, 1800, he was made Captain of Ordnance, and, in November, 
1801, Brigadier-General of Volunteers. He commanded the Second Brigade 
in Burnside's expedition to North Carolina ; was distinguished at the battle 
of Roanoke Island for the gallantry with which he led the attack against 
Fort Barton; participated in the capture of Newbern, and other important 
military operations, and in July, 1862, was ordered to reinforce General 
McClcllan, on the Peninsula, About this time he was promoted to be 
Major-General of Volunteers, his commission dating from April 26. Sub- 
sequently, he was sent to Fredericksburg, whence he joined General 
Pope, then commanding the Army of Virginia, and took part in the actions 
near ^Manassas, at the close of August, 1802, 

At the battle of South Mountain, his division was in advance, and was 
engaged during the whole day. General Reno Avas conspicuous for his gal- 
lantry and activity, and the succobs of the day was greatly owing to his 
efforts. He was shot, while giving orders, early in the evening of Septem- 
ber 14, 1802. He was engaged at the moment in observing the enemy's 
movenaents, by the aid of a glass, and was struck in the spine by a inusket- 
bal!, lodging in his breast. 

Thus clused the career of one of the bravest and most useful officers of 
tlio Union army, who, to his honor belt noted, though born a Virginian, 
like nKuiy other Southerners, rose superior to sectional feelings, and felt the 
lire of a hij^^her patriotism in their devotion to their whole country. 



107. EDWIN V. SUMNEE. 

Major-General Edwin V. Sumner was born in Boston, Massachusetts, 
in the year 1790. He was educated at the academy at Milton, and, without 
fi-radiidting' at West Point, entered the army, under the patronage of the 
Commander-in-Chief, General Jacob Brown, in 1819, as Second Lieutenant 
of Infantry. 

He served in the Black Hawk war with credit, and was transferred to 
the Second Dragoons, with the rank of Captain. This brought him into 
active service on the "Western frontier, as an Indian fighter, where he 
acquired a high reputation. In 1838, Sumner was appointed to the com- 
mand of the Cavalry School of Practice at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. 
Here his previous experience and energetic character made him an efficient 
officer. 

It was not until after twenty-seven years of military service, in 1840, 
that he attained the rank of Major. 

The Mexican war now offered him an opportunity for exhibiting his 
abilities. He was with Scott's army from its landing till the conquest of 
the capitol, and highly distinguished himself wherever an opportunity 
offered — at the bridge of Medelin, near Vera Cruz ; in the assault on Cerro 
G-ordo, where he was wounded, and for his gallantry breveted Lieutenant- 
Colonel ; at Molino del Rey, where he held his position and kept five thousand 
Mexican Lancers in check, under a constant fire, and contributed greatly to 
the success of the American army, and was breveted Colonel. In 1851, '52, 
and '53 he was in command of New Mexico. 

1 1 1854 he visited Europe, on official business, to report on improve- 
ments in the Cavalry service. 

Again employed on the frontier, he conducted a successful expedition 
against the Cheyenne warriors in Kansas, and was appointed to the com- 
mand of th-i Western Department, rendering efficient service by his energy 
and moderation during the Kansas troubles. 

The Rebellion brought this able and well-tried officer to a position more 
worthy of his claims. He was appointed to the vacancy made by tlio 
treason of Twiggs, and sent to the Department of the Pacific ; but was re- 
called, in 1862, to active service in the Army of the Potomac. 

In the campaign of the Peninsula, he was actively em[doyed, and turned 
the fortunes of the day, in the repulse of the Confederates, at Fair Oaks. 
He was highly distinguished in the Seven Days' Battles, and was there 
again wounded. 

Having received the rank of Major-General of Volunteers, and Brevet 
Major-General in the Regular army, he took command of the Second Corps 
in the brief campaign in Maryland, in September, 1802, when, at the bloody 
battle of Antietam, he was again wounded. 

He was with. Burnside at Fredericksburg, his division being the first to 
cross the Rappahannock, Its attacks upon the enemy's position were made 
with the greatest gallantry, and reported the heaviest losses. He was next 
appointed to the Department of Missouri, but was suddenly taken ill, at 
Syracuse, New York, where he had been sojourning for a short time, and 
died on the 21st of March, 1803. 



fQ ^ 



108. AVINFIELD SCOTT. 

General WiNFiELD ScoTT was born in Petersburg, Virginia, June "3, 
1T8G. He chose the legal profession, and was admitted to the bar in 1806, 
at the age of twenty. 

When the war of 1812 broke out, he applied for, and received, a com- 
mission of Captain of Artillery, and accomi^anied General Hull in his in- 
glorious campaign. His first fight was at Queenstown Heights, with four 
hundred men against thirteen hundred; and, although defeated and taken 
prisoner, he fought with desperate valor. After being exchanged, he re- 
turned to the ground of his former exploits, took Fort Erie, and fought the 
bloody battles of Chippewa and Lundy's Lane, in which he exhibited rare 
and mature military knowledge. In the latter engagement he was severely 
wounded. 

Congress voted him a large medal, inscribed with the names of " Chip- 
pewa and Niagara," and bearing his likeness. After the war, he served his 
country in various capacities, as a soldier and a civilian. 

In 18-11, on the death of General Malcolm, he became Commander-in- 
Chief of the Army. 

His military career in the late Mexican War reflects the highest credit 
on his name. The taking of San Juan de UUoa, the storming of Cerro 
Gordo, the capture of Jalapa, the taking of Parote, the occupation of 
Peubl.i, the negotiations carried on while the army rested a while at this 
place, the fight at Contreras, the fall of San Antonio, the bloody action of 
Cherubusco. the fight at Molino del Rey, the bombardment and storming of 
the alino>t inaccessible Chepultepec, and the final triumphant entrance into 
the c iplt;d of Mexico, are masterpieces of military execution, and placed 
him. at once, among the great military heroes of modern times. 

In 1852 he was the regular nominee of the Whig party for the office of 
President of the United States, but was defeated by General Pierce, the 
Democratic candidate. 

On the creation of the office of Lieutenant-General he was assigned to 
that position, and held it at the breaking out of the Rebellion, when he 
organized the army, and projected extended plans of operations against the 
advance of the Confederate army upon Washington, and to protect the loyal 
people of all parts of the Union. He continued in command until Novem- 
ber 1, 1S()1, when his greatly advanced age and increasing infirmities, led 
him t) proffer his resignation, which was accepted ; and he was placed upon 
the retir'-d list, without reduction of pay and emoluments. 

Ho did not cease, however, to take an active inti-rest in the Union cause 
and army, but freely consulted and advised with Mr. Lincoln, and used his 
powerful influence for its success. 

He died, May 29, 1800, at the advanced age of eighty years. . 



109. THOMAS X JACKSON. 

General Thomas J. Jackson — more familiarly known as " Stonewall 
Jackson" — was born, January SI, 1824, in Harrison County, Virginia. His 
fa' her died when he was throe years old, leaving his children penniless. He 
lived with his uncle, and worked upon a farm, until he was seventeen. 

At sixteen ho was elected Constable of the County. At seventeen he 
managed to get into West Point as a cadet, and graduated, in 1846, with 
distinction ; was appointed Brevet Lieutenant, and immediately ordered to 
duty in Mexico, where he was breveted Captain and Major, for meritorious 
conduct. 

He resigned his commission in 1852, and obtained a Professorship in the 
Virginia Military Academy, and continued in that position until the 
breaking out of the Rebellion. 

On the secession of Virginia, he was commissioned Colonel, and subse- 
quently Brigadier-General, of Volunteers, in the Confederate army, and 
fought his first battle at Falling Waters, while acting as General J. E. 
Johnston's rear-guard, in his retreat to Winchester. 

It was while in the Valley, under Johnston, that he organized his first 
brigade, which, at the battle of Bull Run, gained the sobriquet, from its 
leader, of the " Stonewall Brigade." 

General Bee, when the fortunes of the day seemed wavering, and it was 
feared all Avould be lost, met Jackson, and said, bitterly : " General, they 
are beating us !" Jackson replied : " We will give them the bayonet !" 

Bee galloped back to his command, and called out to his men, pointing 
to Jackson : " There stands Jackson, like a stone-wall ! Let us determine 
to die here, and we shall conquer. Follow me !" 

The charge was made, and was successful. General Jackson was ever 
after known as "Stonewall Jackson." 

He was advanced to Major-General, in September, 18G1, and assigned to 
the command of the troops around Winchester. General Jackson, being 
born in the Valley, knew all its passes. He saw, from the first, the im- 
portance that region bore to the success of the Rebel cause, and strove his 
best to preserve it from the possession of the Union forces. He expressed 
his military opinion, that " if the Valley was lost, Virginia would be lost." 
All his plans were laid with a view of secviring this important region. He 
alternately pursued, and retreated before, the National forces, under Banks 
and Fremont. 

June 17, 1862, he crossed over to the Chickahominy, and was engaged in 
the seven days' battle and Malvern Hill, and, afterward, at Manassas, Chan- 
tilly, Antietam, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville, where he was mor- 
tally wounded. May 2, 1868, by his own men, who mistook him for the 
enemy, as he was returning, after dusk, from the advance, where he had 
gone to view the line of battle. He died May 10, 1803. 

To the South his loss was irreparable, and the North had learned to re- 
spect him for his indomitable courage. 



no. EDWARD D. BAKER. 

General Edward D. Baker was born in London, England, February 
24.1811. His father, a Quaker, removed to Belleville, St. Clair cuimt}^, 
Illinois, where Edward received his early education; giving even then 
indications of the brilliant talents afterward displayed. 

To great industry, energy, and perseverance, he united a memory al- 
most superliuman; being able to repeat whole pages, after a hasty peru- 
sal, lleuce the ready and almost inexhaustible fund of varied knowl- 
edge, which in after years astonished those who knew the circumstances 
of his childhood; and which contributed, in no slight degree, to his suc- 
cess as a public speaker. At eighteen years of age, he removed to Car- 
rolton, Greene county, where he obtained a deputy clerkship in the Coun- 
ty Court; and, in the interval, applied himself to the study of the law, 
was admitted to the bar before he was of age, and became lamous as an 
advocate. In 18:38 he removed to Springfield, where he came in compe- 
tition with Douglas, Lincoln and others; not one of whom equalled him 
in the* ready flow, the brilliancy, or the pathos of his eloquence. He wa3 
elected Representative to Congress in 1849, having previously held a seat 
in both Houses of the State Legislature. On the breaking out of the war 
with Mexico he raised a regiment, as colonel of which he was the first to 
embark, north of the Ohio. He rendered valuable service under Scott, 
and elicited warm commendation for his gallantry at Cerro Gordo. 

He took an active part in building the Panama Railroad, and in 1852 
settled in San Francisco, California, 'whither bis reputation bad preceded 
him, and he soon built up a large practice. 

In 18o9 he removed to Oregon, and was elected United States Senator, 
for tlie term expiring IMarcli 4, 1805. 

He stumped the State for Lincoln, and secured for him its electoral 
vote, in 1860. In Congress his eloquent voice — first heard in reply to 
Senator Benjamin — showed the quality of his genius. 

At the outbreak of the war he threw himself, heart and soul, into the 
contest for the Union. He inunediately recruited a regiment in Philadel- 
phia, called the California Regiment, and took the field in the summer of 
18G1. On the twenty-first of October he led a battalion across the Poto- 
mac, at Ball's Blulf ; and whle gallantly leading his men a<;-ainst a supe- 
rior force, he was shot from his horse and killed, October 21, 1861. 



111. ANDEEW H. FOOTE 

Admiral Andrew H. Foote, son of the late Governor Foote7 "vvas bom 
in New Haven, Connecticvit, September 12^ 180G. 

Y(ii5,ng Foote was intended for one of the learned professions, but having- 
exhibited a strong inclination for the sea, he was allowed to enter the Navy, 
as Afting-Midshipman, in 1822, and made his first cruise in the Grampus, 
under Commodore Porter, against the pirates who then infested the waters 
of the West Indies. He participated in this service -with credit, obtained 
his Midshipman's warrant in 1824, Passed-Midshipman in 1827, and in 1830 
was commissioned a Lieutenant. 

In 1833 he joined the Delaware, as Flag-Lieutenant of the Mediterranean 
Squadron. 

From 1841 to 1843, Lieutenant Foote was stationed at the Naval Asylum 
at Philadelphia, Avhere his efforts were beneficially directed toward amelior- 
ating and elevating the condition of the inmates. He prevailed upon many 
of the *' old salts" to sign the temperance-pledge ; and on his next cruise, in 
the Cumberland, persuaded his whole crew to give up their grog. 

In 1849 he joined the American squadron on the African coast, to sup- 
press the slave-trade. 

In 1856 he was placed in command of the sloop-of-war Portsmouth, and 
ordered to proceed to the China station, arriving at Canton in October, just 
previous to the commencement of hostilities between the English and 
Chinese. He landed an armed force, to protect American residents, when 
his boat was fired upon from the Barrier forts. He received permission 
from Commodore Armstrong to vindicate the honor of his flag, by an attack 
upon the forts, which he commenced on the 21st, and on the 24th the Ameri- 
can flag waved over them all. 

The outbreak of the recent Bebellion found Commander Foote stationed 
a^ the Brooklyn Navy-Yard. 

In July, 1801, he received his Captain's commission, and in September 
was appointed Flag-Otficer of the flotilla fitting out on the Western waters 
to co-operate wiih the land forces ; and superintended the building and 
equipping of the Government gunboats on the Mississippi River for that ex- 
pedition. This arduous and difficult task was completed before military 
operations commenced. 

He opened the campaign by co-operating with Grant's army in the cap- 
ture of Fort Henry, on the Tennessee Piver, and Fort Donaldson, on the 
Cumberland, where he greatly distinguished himself. He afterward con- 
ducted the naval attack on Island No. 10, but after its reduction was obliged 
to relinquish his command, in consequence of a wound received at Fort 
Donaldson. 

He returned to New Haven to recruit his health, receiving one continu- 
ous ovation from the enthusiastic crowds, who greeted him with shouts of 
approval. 

He was subsequently appointed Pear- Admiral, and Chief of the Bureau 
of Pecruiting and Equipment. 

After regaining his health, he was detailed to relieve Admiral Dupont, 
in the South Atlantic Squadron, in May, 1863, and started on his way to 
assume the duties of his new command, when, on arriving at New York, he 
was attacked by a painful disease which, in two weeks, terminatie'd his life. 
He died on the 26th of Juu&, 18G3. 



112. NATHANIEL LYON. 

General Nathaniel Lyon, one of the first Generals of the Union who 
fell in the war of the Rebellion, was born at Ashford, Connecticut, in June, 
lbl9. 

He was educated at West Point, graduated in 1841, and was appointed 
Second Lieutenant. He served in Florida ki the Seminole war, was subse- 
quently stationed on the Western frontier, and was promoted to First Lieu- 
tenant in 1847. He served in the Mexican War, under Taylor and Scott, 
and was promoted, for " meritorious conduct" at Contreras and Cherubusco, 
to Brevet Captain. 

At the breaking out of the Rebellion, he was in command of the arsenal 
at St. Louis, Missouri. The Government of the LTnited States sent a re- 
quisition to Governor Jackson, of Missouri, for troops, with which he refused 
to comply; but, on the 25th of April, assembled, under Genei'al Frost, about 
eight hundred men, on the outskirts of St. Louis, ostensibly to preserve 
order in the State. General Lyon, in command of the Union forces, on the 
10th of May, surrounded them, and summoned them to surrender. General 
Frost, finding- resistance useless, surrendered as prisoners of war. 

On the ] 2th of June, Governor Jackson issued a proclamation against 
the United States, and General Lyon left St. Louis, on the 13th, for Jeffer- 
son City, when Jackson fled. General Lyon, after issuing a proclamation to 
the people of the State, assuring them of his intention to protect their liber- 
ties, persons, and property, and uphold the United States Government, 
pursued Jackson, who was reinforced by General Price, at Booneville. 

Here General Lyon attacked them, but they, under the cover of a wood 
kept up a brisk fire, which harrassed him. In order to draw them out from 
their cover. General Lyon ordered a hasty retreat. The inise succeeded ; 
the Rebels ran out into the wheat-fields, when General Lyon halted, faced 
about, and poured in such a fire of grape and musketry that they dropped 
their arms, and fled. 

General Seigel, who was acting against the Rebels further south, being 
outnumbered, retreated toward Springfi.eld, where he was reinforced by 
General Lyon, who assumed command. August 2d, he met a portion of 
Price's army, with that of Ben. McCulloch. By feigning a retreat, he en- 
ticed them to advance, when he suddenly turned upon them, and, by a few 
well-directed volleys, drove them away in confusion ; Price advancing with 
a much larger force, he fell back to Springfield. 

On the Dth, General Price made an attack upon him, and was repulsed 
three successive times. Although the Rebels were repeatedly driven back in 
cunfusion, in consequence of their great preponderance in numbers, they 
were enabled to return, again and again, to the charge. 

Several hours of this sort of work continued, when General Lyon had 
las horse shot from under him, and himself wounded. He procured another 
horse, and, swinging his hat in the air, called the troops nearest him to 
follow. The Second Kansas, under Colonel Mitchcl, gallantly rallied 
around him ; but in a few moments a fatal shot lodged in the General's 
breast, and ho was carried from the field a corpse. 

Thus gloriously fell, August », 1861, as brave a man and noble patriot 
as ever druw a Bwoi'd. 



113. JAMES B. McPHEESON. 

General James B. McPherson was born in Sandusky County, Ohio, in 
November, 1828, and graduated at West Point in 1853, joining the Engineer 
Corps as Brevet Second Lieutenant, and until September, 1854, he was 
Assistant-Instructor of Practical Engineering at the Military Academy. 

From that time until August, 18G I, he was engaged, first, on the de- 
fenses of New York harbor ; next, in facilitating the navigation of the 
Hudson E-iver ; next, in constructing Fort Delaware ; and, finally, in for- 
tifying Alcatraces It-land, in San Francisco Bay. 

He became full Second Lieutenant in 1854, and First Lieutenant in 
Deceonber, 1858. 

In August, 1861, he was ordered from California to attend to the de- 
fenses of Boston harbor. Soon after he received his Captain's commission, 
dating from August, 1861, 

In November, 1861, he became aid to General Halleck, with the rank of 
Lieutenant-Colonel, and was Chief-Engineer of the Army of the Tennessee, 
undet General Grant, in the reduction of Forts Henry and Donaldson, re- 
ceiving for his services a nominaticfn of Brevet Major of Engineers, to date 
from February 16, 1862 ; and for services rendered at Shiloh, he was 
breveted Lieutenant-Colonel of Engineers, to date from April 7, 1863. 

He had, as Colonel on Halleck's staff, the Chief-Engineering charge of 
the approaches to Corinth, which ended in its evacuation. 

On the 15th day of May, 1862, he became Brigadier-General of Volun- 
teers, and the next month superintended, with great skill, all the military 
railroads in General Grant's department. 

He was at luka, and again at Corinth, in October, 1862, acting with so 
much gallantry as to be promoted to Major-General of Volunteers, to date 
from October 3, 1862. 

From that time to the close of the siege of Vicksburg, when his engineer- 
ing powers came into full play, his career was a source of triumph. At the 
recommendation of General Grant, he was made a Brigadier-General of the 
Kegular army, with rank to date from August 1, 1863. 

Two months later, he conducted a column into Mississippi, and repulsed 
the enemy at Canton. 

In February, 1864, he was second in Sherman's command in the famous 
march from Vicksburg to Meridian. 

In the first Atlanta campaign, his command was the Department of 
Tennessee, including the Fifteenth, Sixteenth, and Seventeenth Corps, con- 
stituting the flanking force, which, moving rapidly on one or the other 
wing, was employed to force the enemy back to Atlanta. 

He fought at Resaca; and the battle near Dallas was wholly his. He 
distinguished himself at Altoona and Chip Farm, and was actively eiigaged 
at Kenesaw. 

On the 17th of July he cut the lines between Leo and Johnston by occu- 
pying Decatur, on the Augusta Railroad. Nine days later he fought the 
severe battle, from which he camo out only to fall, shot through the luu-s. 
aarly in the day, on Friday, July 22, 1864, at the early age of thirt y-aia. 
years. 



114. THOMAS FBANCIS MEAGHEE. 

General TnoMAs Fkancis Meagher was bom in Waterford, Ireland, 
Aug-ust 3, 1823, of wealthy and respectable parents. 

He was cduciated at the Jesuit College of Glongowe's Wood, and Stony- 
hurst CoUe^'C, Lancashire, Enghind. lie was a close an 1 attentive student 
of the Enulis'h classics, and, in 1&43. was awarded the silver medal for En- 
glish composition, to the defeat of over fifty English competitors. 

His first idea, after completing his studies, was to accept a commission 
in the British army ; but his Irish spirit levolted at the idea of serving in 
the army of his country's traditional enemy. 

Fceiinq- a great interest in the political questions of the day, and not 
bein<r satisfied with tlio policy of O'Connell, ho became one of the leaders of 
the ** Young Ireland" party, and greatly aided in organizing the Irish con- 
fedei-ation. So great Avere his oratorical powers, that he was soon regarded 
by his party as their principal leader, and the only man who could free 
Ireland from her boiu^ lee. 

When the Erench Kevolution broke out, he was sent, with others, to 
congratulate the Fi'ench Republican leaders on their success ; and, upon his 
return to Ireland, was arrested on a charge of sedition, held to bail, after- 
ward tried for high treason, foiind guilty, and sentenced to death; but, 
subsequently, the sentence was altered to banishment for life to Van Die- 
man's Land, Hei'e he remained until 1852, when he escaped, and arrived 
in New York during the month of May of the same year, where he met with 
an enthusiastic reception from his countrymen and the citizens, generally. 
For two years after, he followed the profession of lecturer, meeting with 
marked success. Returning to New York in 1855, he engaged in the study 
of law, and was subsequently admitted to the bar. In 1850 he became 
Editor of the Irish News. 

On the outbreak of the Rebellion, in 1861, he organized a company of 
Zouaves, and joined the Sixty-ninth Regiment of New Yoi'k Volunteers, 
under Colonel Corcoran, and served during the first campaign in Virginia. 
Upon the expiration of his three months' term, he returned to New York, 
and organized the celebrated "Irish Brigade," and wiis appointed its per- 
manent commander, with the rank of Brigadier-General, his commission 
bearing date February Jj, 1862. 

At the head of his men, he participated in the Seven Days' battles, win- 
ning general pi'aise for the heroism and skill with which lie led his brigade to 
action. He fought with great desperation at Manassas; and at Antietam, 
September 27, 18G2, -won a great reputation, and was specially noticed in 
the official report of General McClellan, At the disastrous battle of Fred- 
ericksburg, the charge after charge, headed by him, up to the very crest of 
the enemy's breastworks, added fresh laurels to the reputation of General 
Meagher and liis men. In this engagement he received a bullet-wound 
through the leg, whii h incapacitated him from active service. 

On May 8, he tendered his resignaticm, and temporarily retired from the 
Rervice, He was recommissioned in 1804, and held command in Tennessee 
and Georgia, where he was signally successful. 

In IbOo ho was appuintt-d Secretary of Montana Territory; and, in 
September of that year. Governor Edgerton, leaving the Territory for a 
short time, appointed him Governor, pio tern. While engaged in the duty 
of protecting the white settlers of that region, on the Upper Missouri, he 
fell from the deck of a steamboat, and was drowned. 

His li fo AvuH full of btirring events, interwoven with the histories d1 Ire- 
land^ of Great Britain, and of the United Stutetl, 



115. OEMSBY M. MITCHELL. 

General Ormscy M. Mitchell was born in Union County, Kentucky, 
August 28, IS iO. 

He received his eai'ly education at Lebanon, "Warren County, Ohio. Ho 
goon m.inifested a ta.ste for study, and at twelve had acquired a good 
elementary English education, considerable progress in mathematics, and 
mastered the rudiments of Latin. 

In 1825 he was appointed cadet in the Military Academy at West Point, 
and graduated in 1829, ranking above Grenerals Kobert E. Lee and J. E. 
Johnston, both of whom were in his class. He was immediately appointed 
Assist tnt-Professor of Mathematics, though but nineteen years old, which 
position he held for two years. 

In 18:32 he resigned, and, having studied law during his leisure mo- 
ments, was admitted to the Cincinnati bar, and continued in practice until 
18o4, when lie w:is elected Professor of Mathematics, Philosophy, and As- 
tronomy, in the Cincinnati College, and filled the chair with great ability 
for ten years. 

In 18oG and '37, while performing the duties of Professor, he was chosen 
Chief-Engineer of the Little Miami Railroad, which he laid out in a most 
skillful manner, and caused it to be built in a substantial style, which added 
greatly to his reputation. 

In 1842 he commenced a course of lectures on Astronomy — the first at- 
tempt of the kind ever made in the West. He originated and raised the 
subscription for the stock to erect a first-class Observatory in Cincinnati, 
was sent to Europe to purchase the instruments, Avhich were mounted in 
1844, and Mr. Mitchell was appointed Director o'^f the Observatory. A 
large debt was still due vipon it, from which he resolved to relieve it, by de- 
livering lectures in the Eastern cities. His eloquence and fame as a lec- 
turer brought him large audiences, and he soon extinguished the debt. 

In 1840 he published the Sidereal Messenger, but continued it only two 
years, for want of patronage. 

In 1848 he was appoiuTed Chief -Engineer of the Ohio and Mississippi 
Railroad; and in 1859 was offered, and accepted, the Directorship of the 
Dudley Observatory, at Albany, still retaining that of the Observatory at 
Cincinnati. 

At the breaking out of the Rebellion, he immediately responded to the 
call for his country's defense, was appointed Brigadier-General of Volun- 
teers, and ordered to report to the new Department of the Ohio, where 
his exploits at Huntsville, Alabama, procured for him the commission of 
Major-General. Soon after, incurring the displeasure of General Buell, ho 
asked to be relieved, and was transferred to the command of the Depart- 
ment of the South, where he arrived in September, 1802, and where he dis- 
played the same energy which characterized him at the West. 

On the 20th of October, 1863, General Mitchell was attacked with the 
yellow-fever, at Hilton Head, S. C, and died on the 30th, in the midst of 
his usefulness. 



IIG. JAMES H. LANE. 

GencralJ. H. Lane— familiarly known as "JimLane*^ — United States 
Senator from Kansas, was born in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, June 22, 1814. 

He studied law, and was admitted to the bar, but, in 1846, abandoned 
his profession, to enlist as a private in the Third Indiana Volunteers, then 
or<>-anizino- for the Mexican War. He Avas chosen Colonel, and at the battle 
of°Buena^Vista commanded a brigade, and highly distinguished himself. 
"When the year's term of service of his regiment expired, he returned home, 
and raised the Fifth Indiana Volunteers, 

In 1848 he was chosen Lieutenant-Governor of Indiana, and, in 1852, 
Member of Congress and Elector-at-Large on the Democratic ticket. 

In 1855 he went to Kansas, and was chosen Chairman of the Executive 
Committee of the Topeka Convention, which instituted the first State Gov- 
ernment of Kansas. He was subsequently President of the Topeka Consti- 
tutional Convention, and was elected by the people, Major-General of the 
Free-State troops. 

In 1856 he was elected to the United States Senate by the Legislature, 
which met under the Topeka Constitution ; but the election was not recog- 
nized by Congress. About the same time, he Avas indicted by the Grand 
Jury of Douglas County for treason, on account of his taking part in the 
Topeka Government, and was forced to fly. 

In 1857 he was President of the Leavenworth Convention, and appointed 
Major-General of the Kansas troops, by the Legislature. 

In 1858 he shot a man named Jenkins, in consequence of a dispute of a 
local nature, and was tried on a charge of murder, but acquitted. 

In 18(51 he was elected to the United States Senate by the Legislature of 
the newlj^-admittcd State of Kansas. 

On the opening of the war for the Union, Lane commanded the *' Front- 
ier Guards," enlisted for the defense of Washington. In Juno, 1861, he was 
nominated Brigadier-General of Volunteei's. and commanded the Kansas 
Brigade. He soon after projected an expedition to the Southwest, which 
was, however, abandoned. 

After the adjournment of Congress, in July, 1862, he was appointed Com- 
missioner to superintend the enlistment of troops in the West. 

He was a member of the Senatorial Committee on Indian Affairs and 
Agriculture ; and, also, on that of Territories. 

While suffering from a violent nervous disorder, and on his way home 
from Washington, he was attacked by paralysis in St. Louis, when the 
extreme prostration of his system offered so little hope of recovery, that his 
mind gave way under its depression, and he ended his life in despair and 
suicide. 

General Lane was a character to be leniently judged. He had a high 
Bcnse of the right, and was true to freedom ; but the rough life of the 
frontier had wrought out for him a melancholy end. 



117. FELIX E. ZOLICOFFER 

Felix R. Zolicoffer was born May 19, 1812. He received an aca- 
demical education ; became Printer, and Editor of a newspaper in Paris, 
Tennessee, in 1829 ; and was elected State Printer in 1835. 

He i-emoved to Nashville in 1842, and became Editor of the Banner, a 
Whig journal. 

In 1845 he was chosen Comptroller of the Treasury, and in 1849 was 
elected to the State Senate. 

He received the contract to build the suspension-bridge over the Cum- 
berland River, at Nashville; after which, in 1852, he was sent to the United 
States Congress, and again in 1859, when he joined the Democratic party, 
on account of its sympathy with the institution of Slavery. 

On the breaking out of the Rebellion, he joined the Southern Confed- 
eracy, and was commissioned Brigadier-General in the Rebel army, July 21, 
18G1, Avhen he took command of a large body of Rebel troops, and marched 
into Kentucky. 

He telegraphed Governor Magoffiii, September 14, 1861, that the safety 
of Tennessee demanded the occupation of Cumberland Gap, and the three 
long ranges of mountains in Kentucky, and that he should hold them until 
the Union forces Avere withdrawn. But the Kentucky Legislature issued 
an address to the people, in which it was declared that, as the Confederates 
had violated the neutrality of Kentucky, it left them no alternative but " to 
drive the invaders out ;" and General Anderson assumed command of the 
United States forces in that State. 

Zolicoffer had a slight skirmish at Barboursville with the Home Guards 
of that place, September 18, 1801 ; but on the arrival of an Indiana regiment, 
they (the Rebels), shouting that they were Union men, approached within a 
short distance, and, taking deliberate aim, fired upon them before the false- 
hood Avas discovered. The Indiana regiment returned the tiro with vigor, 
and the enemy precipitately I'etired. Zolicoffer afterward attacked them 
twice, but was forced, at last, to retreat to Barboursville. 

About the middle of November he made his camp at Mill Spring, on the 
southern bank of the Cumberland, and at Buck's Grove, on the northern 
bank. 

At the same time the Union forces were about twenty-five miles north- 
west of Beech Grove, at the cross-roads ; and, as the roads were bad, and rivers 
swollen, Zolicoffer detei'mined to attack them before they could get any 
reinforcements. Accordingly, on the 19th of January, 1802, he advanced, 
encountered, and drove in, the Federal cavalry ; and, moving rapidly up the 
road, met the main body of the Uni(m troops, with whom he commenced a 
sharp engagement. 

General Zolicoffer, surrounded by his body-guard, was leading his men 
to the charge, when Colonel Fry, of the Fourth Kentucky, shot him dead 
with a pistol. 

His death had such a depressing effect upon his troops, that, in the con- 
fusion, being charged with the bayonet by the Ninth Ohio, they were driven 
from the field, and at night they fled to the Cumberland. 

His deuth occurred on the I'Dth of Januaiy, 1802. 



118. EPIIEABI E. ELLSWOETH. 

Colonel Eptiraim E. Ellsworth, the well-kno-n-n early Union martyr, 
was born at Mcchanicsville, Saratog-a County, New York, April 23, 18o7. 

The youthful Ellsv^'orth early asjnred to military fame. He was desirous 
of an education at the Military Academy, at West Point, but failing in this, 
he persisted in acquiring as good an education as circumstances permitted. 

After a brief experience in New York, he went West, and sought to 
make an occupation as Patent Agent ; was deceived and despoiled of his 
earnings, but persevered in renewed efforts. 

His military bent continuing predominant, he studied and practiced the 
Prench Zouave drill, and formed a corps in Chicago, adapting it to the Ameri- 
can idea. His discipline was rigid in abstinence from all stimulants, and 
was strictly enforced. In a year he was enabled to exhibit his corps at the 
State Pair, where success and admiration awaited him. The corps visited 
the East, and won the greatest applause. Returning to Chicago, Ellsworth 
organized a regiment on the same plan, and offered it to the Governor for the 
defense of the State. 

In 18G0 he entered heartily into the canvass in favor of Mr. Lincoln for 
President of the United States, organizing and drilling " Wide-Awake" 
clubs, and afterward accompanied him to Washington. 

On the breaking out of the Rebellion, Ellsworth hastened to Noav York, 
and organized a Zouave regiment, recruited mostly from the Eire Depart- 
ment, and, soon after, marched to Washington. His success in disciplining 
and controling his men was remarkable, and their attachment to him was 
equally so. 

On the 2ud of May, 1801, his regiment was ordered to Alexandria, 
reaching there early on the next morning-, and the town was occupied with 
scarcely any resistance. 

The secession flag was flying from a hotel, called the "Marshall House," 
kept by a violent secessionist, named Jackson. Colonel Ellsworth, Avith a 
rashness characteristic of a bravo and enthusiastic, but inexperienced officer, 
entered, with his chaplain and a single private, and demanded whoso flag it 
was. The proprietor denied its ownership, whereupon Ellsworth, with his 
two companions, ascended to the roof, took it down, and wrapped it around 
him, saying, as he descended, " This is my trophy !" " And you are mine ! " 
exclaimed Jackson, the proprietor, at the same moment discharging the 
contents of a shot-gun into the breast of the Colonel, killing him instantly. 
But Jackson instantly fell dead himself, from a musket-ball through the 
head, and a bayonet-thrust, from Francis E. Brownell, the private accom- 
panying Ellsworth. 

Tho event caused much regret, Ellsworth being considered a young 
officer oi \in usual promise, and of approved loyalty; and, had he deputed to 
another to perform, what was, after all, a duty too trivial to devolve upon 
an officer of rank, he might have lived to render important services to his 
country. 

^ Colonel Ellsworth was buried with all the tributes of a grateful and ad- 
miring country, and his name is forever enshrined in tho popular heart. 



119. PHILIP KEAENEY. 

General Philip Keakney was born in New York City, June 2, 1816. 
From boyhood he manifested a strong- preference to a military career ; but, 
in obedience to the wishes of his family, he passed through Columbia Col- 
lege, and began to study law 

In 1837 his soldierly propensities got the better of him ; and, on the 8th 
of March, he received a commission as Second Lieutenant of the First Dra- 
goons, then commanded by his uncle, Colonel S. W. Kearney. He saw 
much hard service on the Western frontier, chiefly fighting the Indians, and 
acquired such a reputation as a cavalry officer that, in 1838, he was sent to 
Europe by the Government to study and report upon the French cavalry 
tactics. While there he became attached to the Chasseurs de Afrique. He 
gained distinction during the campaign of 1838-'40, and was decorated 
with the Legion of Honor. Returning home in 1840, he was appointed, in 
November, Aid to General Macomb, and in December, 1841, Aid to General 
Scott. In December, 1846, he was promoted to Captain ; and, at the out- 
break of the Mexican war, his dragoons formed the body-guard to General 
Scott. In the valley of Mexico, Captain Kearney commanded a regiment, 
and for his gallantry at Contreras and Cherubusco, received the brevet of 
Major. After the latter engagement, he pursued the flying Mexicans as far 
as the gates of the city of Mexico. Here his troops, checked by a heavy 
fire of artillery, began to waver, whereupon Kearney dashed forward alone, 
the soldiers following him, and the battery was taken. In this affair he 
lost his left arm. He resigned his commission in 1851, after having- served 
some time in California, and went again to Europe to resume his military 
studies. In 1859, he served as Volunteer Aid to the French General Morris 
in the Italian campaign. 

When the Rebellion broke out in this country, he immediately returned 
home, and offered his services to the Government. He was appointed to the 
command of a Ncav Jersey brigade soon after the battle of Bull Run, in 
General Franklin's division, his commission dating May 17, 1861. In March, 
1802, on the organization of army corps, he was attached to the First (Gen- 
eral McDowell's), but Avas soon afterward promoted to the command of a 
division in the Third (General Heintzelman's), with which he served 
throughout the Chickahominy campaign. In the battle of Williamsburg, 
after Hooker had been for an hour or two struggling against an overwhelm- 
ing force in front of Fort Magruder, Kearney was ordered to his relief, 
when he gallantly attacked the enemy, and drove them back at every point, 
enabling Gen( ral Hooker to extricate himself from the position, and with- 
draw his wearied troops. In the battle of Fair Oaks and the famous " Seven 
Days' Fight" his gallantry was universallj' admired, and soon after, he was 
commissioned Major-General, dating from July 4, 1802. On the 2od of 
August he joined General Pope at Warrenton Junction ; and, on the 29th, 
the battle of Centreville began. Kearney fought with the greatest despera- 
tion for two days, when the army fell back to Fairfax Court-House. The 
battle of Chantilly began on the 1st of September, 1862. Kearney was 
sent to the support of General Reno, whose troops had given way, leaving a 
gap, which the Rebels were hastening to occupy. Telling his orderly and 
aids to keep back, Kearney rode forward, alone, to examine the position 
himself. He never came back alive ; a musket-ball having pierced his 
body. 



f 1^4^ 



120. AMBROSE P. HILL. 

General Ambrose P. Hill, one of the most distinguished leaders of 
the Confcdorato army against the forces of the Union, was l^orn in Cul- 
pepper County, Virginia, in 1824, of highly respectable parentage. 

lie entered the Military Academy at West Point in lUio, and graduated 
in the same chiss -with General Burnside. 

In lJ?r)5 lie Avas appointed an Assistant of the United States Coast Survey, 
continuing until ISGl, when he resigned his position in the United States 
army, and was appointed by Governor Letcher, Colonel of Virginia Volun- 
teers. 

lie was attached to General J. E. Johnston's army of the Confederacy, 
and came in with him at Bull Run, assisting to change the issues of that 
battle. 

lie was made Major-General for his bravery, and took part in the battle 
of Mechanicsville ; and, in the " Seven Days" light, was a prominent leader, 
where he gained a brilliant reputation. 

He Avas actively engaged iu the battles of Cedar Run, Second Bull Run. 
Centrevillc, Chantilly, and in the campaign before Washington against 
General Pope. 

On the 14th of September, 1802, he captured Harper's Ferry, and made 
a forced march to Antietam Creek, where he took part in that severe battle. 
and repulsed the F3deral troops, who crossed the river in pursuit of the 
Rebels, with heavy loss. 

In the battle of Fredericksburg, December 13, 1863, his division formed 
the right of Jackson's force, and fought desperately, finally repulsing the 
Federal troops. At Chancellorsville, May, 1863, his division formed the 
centre of Jackson's command, and participated in that flank movement by 
which Hooker's right was crushed. 

AVhen "Stonewall" Jackson received his death- wound, the command 
devolved on General Hill, who was himself severely wounded soon after. 
For his gallantry in this battle he was made a Lieutenant-General, and 
placed in command of the Third Corps in the Army of Northern Virginia. 

In July, 1803, he took part in the great battle of Gettysburg. In the 
autumn of 1863, he was in the affair of Bristow's Station, but was repulsed 
Avith serious loss. 

In the great battles of the spring of 1864, he was, next to General Lee, 
the most prominent officer of the Rebel army in Virginia, and took part 
in the severest fighting of that period. On the 22d of June his corps and 
Longstrect's repulsed the attempt of the Federal troops to gain possession of 
the Weldon Railroad. At the explosion of the mine at Petersburg, at Ream's 
Station, and the bloody fight of Hatcher's Run, and the subsequent move- 
ments in that vicinity. General Hill led his corps with great ability. 

When the final attack upon the Southside Railroad and the defenses of 
Petersburg came, ho Avas active in his exertions ; and, on the 2d of April, his 
c.)rps was opposed to the Sixth, Ninth, and part of the Twenty-fifth Federal 
C.)rps, almost unsupported ; and then, as ahvays, exposing himself to fire 
Avithout hesitation, ho Avas instantly killed by a rifle-shot. Thus closed the 
career of one Avhoso accomplishments as a military officer, acquired at the 
expense of his country, Avas, like many of his confederates, devoted to 
the destruction of the bosom that nourished him. 



121. JAMES E. B. STUART. 

General J. E. B. SrirAiiT was born in Patrick Henry County, Virginia, 
about the year 1GD2. 

In his youth he gave evideneo of many qualities that fitted him for the 
position he afterward occupied. He received a good education, and entered 
the West Point academy in 1850. Graduating in 1854, he received a com- 
mission as Second Lieutenant in a Mounted Iliflo regiment, in the United 
States army. 

Under E. Y. Sumner as Colonel, and J. E. Johnston as Lieutenant- 
Colonel, Stuart fought in the wilds of New Mexico : now engaging tribes of 
hostile Indians, anon hunting up hordes of lawless banditti, and ever per- 
forming some dashing and fearless exploit. Soon he became noted among 
his compeers for these bold and skillful charges ux^on a wily and dangerous 
foe. 

On the 29th of July, 1857, he was wounded in a severe fight with three 
hundred braves of the Cheyenne tribe, who were, however, defeated. 

In May, 1861, President Lincoln appointed him Captain in the United 
States Cavalry, but he declined the ai>pointment, and went over to the Rebel 
army, where he was made Colonel of a Virginia cavalry regiment. 

In July, 18G1, at the first battle of Bull Run, he commanded all the 
cavalry attached to Beauregard's and Johnston's armies, and greatly assisted 
the Confederate cause. 

In September, 18G1, he was made Brigadier-General, and in the ensuing 
winter organized the Virginia cavalry, of which he took command. In the 
beginning of the Peninsula campaign, Stuart made several cavalry expedi- 
tions, culminating in that famous raid, in June, through and around Gen- 
eral McClellan's army, which was the precursor of that General's change of 
base to the James River, and the seven days' fighting which accompanied 
the movement. Eor this he was promoted to the rank of Major-General in 
the Rebel army, and placed in command of a division of cavalry. 

On the 22d August, 18G2, he dashed in upon the right flank of General 
Pope, at Catlett's Station, during a heavy storm, penetrated to headquar- 
ters, and succeeded in capturing important papers, besides taking the 
private effects and dress uniform of General Pope, and several of his officers. 

He commanded the cavalry during the succeeding invasion of Maryland, 
and, a few weeks after the battle of Antietam, again rode around the Union 
lines, carrying off a considerable amount of spoils. 

In the Chancelloi^sville campaign, and Lee's second invasion of the 
North, his cavalry was active ; and, after the battle of Gettysburg, effectu- 
ally covered the Rebel retreat. 

During the battles in the Wilderness, he encountered Sheridan's cavalry 
on the 6th of May, 1864, and was driven back ; but on the 12th, he again 
encountered them, at Yellow Tavern, seven miles from Richmond, Avhere he 
Avas mortally wounded. He was conveyed to Richmond, where, at eight 
o'clock in the evening of May 12, 1864, he died. 

General Stuart was a short, thick-set, athletic man ; a bold and expert 
rider, always joyous and gay, singing songs as he went into battle. He was 
very fond of display in dress, and his fighting-jacket shone Avith double 
rows of gilt buttons, and was covered with gold braid. Many regarded 
him as a military fop, but ho was looked upon by the rank and file of the 
army, and by the Southern people generally, as a brave and gallant soldier. 



122. HIPvAM G. BEEEY 

General IIiRAM G. Berry mis born in Thoniaston, Maine, August 27, 
1824. He learned the trade of Carpenter, at which occupation he worked 
for several years, and afterward engaged in navigation. He was elected to 
tlie office of Mayor in the city of Ivockland, and filled various offices in the 
Maine militia. ^Undcr tlie call for troops by the United States Government 
to protect the national life and honor, in the spring of 18G1, he offered liis 
services, and was commissioned Colonel of the Fourth Maine Volunteers; 
marched for the protection of Washington, and participated in the first 
battle of Bull Run, where he fought in General Howard's brigade. The 
regiment was afterward transferred to one of Genei'al Sedgwick's brigades, 
and subsequently to that of General Birney's, Hamilton's division, and 
participated in the siege of Yorktown. Upon General Kearney taking 
command of the division, Colonel Berry, who had been made Brigadier- 
General of Volunteei's, was placed in charge of a brigade of Heintzelman's 
army corps, which separated him from his regiment. 

He participated in the battle of Fair Oaks, June 1, 18G2, and in the 
" Seven Days' " battle, previous to the change of base from the Chickahominy 
to the James River. 

On the loth of August General Berry moved with his brigade to York- 
town, from whence he was transferred to Pope's command at Warrenton 
Junction, from which point they marched to the Rappahannock, and, on the 
29lh and oOth, participated with General Kearney's division in the battle of 
Manassas, or Second Bull Run, at Centreville. On the 1st of September he 
took part in the battle of Chantilly, where General Kearney lost his life. 
At the battle of Fredericksburg, December 13, 1862, Berry's brigade drove 
back a Rebel force, thereby saving a great portion of Birney's division from 
harm. He was made Major-General of Volunteers, March 9, I860, to rank 
from November 29, 1862. 

At the battle of Chancellorsville, General Berry was placed in command 
of the Second Division of the Third Army Corps, under General Sickles. 
On the 2d day of May, when the enemy had defeated Schurz's division of 
the Eleventh Corps, and, with wild yells, were rushing into the opening 
made by the retreating Germans, General Berry's division threw itself into 
the gap, and, with the aid of Captain Best's battery, stayed the torrent 
which hid threatened to roll up the line m disastrous confusion. Manfully 
the small baud bore up against the fierce assault of the desperate foe, and, 
by dint of endurance, succeeded in keeping them at bay until support 
arrived.^ The enemy's force comprised three strong divisions— A. P. Hill's, 
Trimble's, and Rhodes's— of Jackson's corps, and greatly outnumbered the 
Federal troops to whom they were opposed. 

The next day General Berry's division engaged the enemy again; and, 
although they advanced in overwhelming numbers, his brave men fought 
■vvith desperate ^-allantry, and held them in check. General Berry fell in 
this assault, while gallantly fighting at the head of his command, May 3, 
1863. •' 



123. DAYID HUNTER. 

General David Hunter was born in the District of Columbia about tlie 
year 1800. He entered the academy at Wjst Point as a Cadet in 1818, from 
which he graduated in 1822, and was made Second Lieutenant of the Fifth 
Infantry on the 1st day of July of that year. 

In 1828 he was appointed First Lieutenant, and, two years after, a Cap- 
tain of the First Dragoons. On the 4th of July, 188'!, he resij^ned, but 
returned to the army in 1841 as temporary Paymastei". 

At the commencement of the Rebellion he was appointed Colonel of the 
Sixth Regiment, May 14, 1861 ; and, at the battle of Bull Run, as a Brigadier- 
General, commanded the Second Division under McDowell. He took position 
at Ludley Springs, entered into the thickest of the fight, and was severely 
wounded early in the action. 

He was made Major-General of Volunteers, August 13, and took charge 
of the forces at Rolla, Mo., in September, and was second to General Fre- 
mont, on whose removal, in November, he became temporary commander, 
until General Halleck took command, when he was appointed to the Militaiy 
Division of Kansas. 

In March, 1862, he superseded General T. W. Sherman in the Department 
of the South, because his views harmonized more with the Freedman's Relief 
Association. He immediately demanded the surrended of Fort Pulaski, 
which was defended by Colonel Ormstead, who replied, " that he was there 
to defend, not to surrender." General Hunter immediately commenced a 
bombardment, and in thii'ty hours the fort surrendered. 

On the 9th of May, 1862, he issued an order, stating that the States of 
South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida were under martial law, and added, 
"that slavery and martial law being incompatible in a free coiintry, the 
persons in these States heretofore held as slaves are, therefore, declared f(ii- 
ever free." President Lincoln, however, disapproved the order, and General 
Hunter resigned his command. But he was i-eappointed to the same depart- 
ment in January, 1883. He then caused the able-bodied negroes of the 
neighborhood to be formed into regiments, and drilled. In a short time he 
was convinced they would make good soldiers, and they were afterward 
employed as such in the army, and done good service to the country. 

June 12, 1863, he was relieved of his command ; and, on the 14th of 
November, was sent on a tour of inspection through the Military District 
of the Mississippi. 

On the 20th of May, 1864, he was appointed to relieve General Sigel in 
"West Virginia ; and, taking up his headquarters in the field, at Cumberland, 
marched to Harrisonburg, which was occupied without difficulty. 

On the 5th of June he met the Rebels under General Jones, near Staun- 
ton, whonx he engaged and completely routed, killing Jones, capturing 
twenty guns and a large quantity of stores, and entered Staunton without 
opposition. From Staunton he proceeded to Lynch' mrg, driving the enemy 
before him ; but the Rebels being reinforced from Richmond, he retreated, 
having run short of ammunition and KUpplic^. Being cut off from the val- 
ley, he retreated over the mountains to ParkersburLi', where he first learned 
of the Rebel raid into Maryland. August 7, l^6i, he was superseded by 
General Sheridan. 



2-Y 



124. AVILLIAir L. YANCEY. 

William L. Yancey was born cat Ogeechec Shoals, Georgia, August 10, 
1814. He received his etlucation in the Northern States, hrst entering a 
private school, and subsequently Williams College; but, on account of a 
disagreement, completed his education elsewhere. 

lie studied law, and commenced its practice in South Carolina; 
but, in 1837, he removed to Montgomery, Ala., where he soon became suc- 
cessful, and united to his vocation the position of editor of the Cahawba 
Democrat, and Weturopka Argus. 

In 1840 ho was elected to the State Legislature as Representative, and 
subsequently to the Senate. He was chosen, in 1844, to succeed Dixon II. 
Lewis, as Eepresentative to Congress, and was re-elected for the next term, 
occupying his seat in the Twenty-Eighth and Twenty-Ninth Congress. 

In 1845 he voted ior the admission of Texas into the Union, and approved 
the bill on the Oregon question. Supporting every measure in the interest 
of the South, he voted for the extension of the Missouri Compromise line to 
the Pacific. 

Upon the completion of his Congressional term, ho returned to Alabama, 
and resumed the practice of his profession ; and, in 1848, was a member of 
the Democratic Convention which met at Baltimore, May 22, to nominate 
General Cass for the Presidency. 

Chosen, in 1850, the leader of the extremest of the Southern ultra senti- 
ment, he was regarded throughout the North as its great exponent. Con- 
sistent with his principles, he took an active part, in 1854-'5G, to make 
Kansas a Slave State. More violent in the year 1859, he urged upon the 
Legislature of Alabama to pass an Act to require the Governor, in the case 
of the election of a Republican President in 1800, to call a convention of 
Alabamians to oppose it at all hazards. 

He was elected a member of the Democratic Convention which met at 
Charleston, S. C, in April, 1800. The Convention refusing to adopt the 
ultra Southern platform, he withdrew, with his colleagues, joining the Con- 
vention at Baltimore, which nominated John C. Breckenridge for President, 
and espoused his election with all the ardor of his luiture, and vehemence of 
his orator)'. 

Visiting New York during the Presidential canvass of 1860, he advocated 
ihc policy of a fusion party, as the only practicable one to defeat Mr. Lincoln. 
When the Southern States began to secede, Mr. Yancey was chosen, December 
24, 18G0, a member of the Montgomery Convention. The ordinance of 
secession adopted by this Convention, was reported by Mr. Yancey. 

February 27, 1801, he was selected to visit Europe as a Commissioner 
from the Southern States, where he used all his eloquence} to persuade the 
Continental powers to recognize their independence. Being unsuccessful in 
his efforts, he returned to the South, where he held several other appoint- 
nients, and was elected to the Confederate Congress, in which service he 
died, in July, 18Go, before realizing the hopelessness of his dreams, and the 
dotcat of his people. 



125. THEODOEE PAEKEE. 

Theodore Pahker, the celebrated Massachusetts clersrjman and 
scholar, was born in Lexington, Massachusetts, August 24, 1810. He was 
one of the old stock whose grandfathers fought in the first battles of free- 
dom ; for the very musket captured at Lexington Green, in April, 1775, was 
preserved by Theodore, and left to the State. He worked as a farmer and 
mechanic, like other country lads, and went to the district school in winter, 
became, in his turn, teacher, bought books, and fitted himself for college. 

He entered Harvard College in 1830, studying at home, and compressing 
three years into one ; taught school, and studied languages, ancient and 
modern, edited periodicals, graduated as a clergyman, and settled in West 
Roxbviry, in 1837. He formed views upon the authority and inspiration of 
the Bible, which were not in harmony with the New England pulpit. In 
short, he denied the supernatural in the Scriptures, and aroused an excited 
controversy, which exhausted so much of his physical and mental energies, 
that he was obliged to seek relief in foreign travel, spending the years 1843-4 
in Europe. 

The controversy was renewed on his return, when he organized a new 
parish, in the Melodeon, Boston, in 1845. 

Mr. Parker's contributions to periodical literature, his translations from 
the German, and other productions of his pen, were marked by a vigor and 
independence of thought which I'anked him among the leading minds of 
the age. He was one of the earliest advocates of Temperance and anti- 
Slavery. After the passage of the Fugitive Slave Law, in l&oO, ho took an 
active part in opposing rendition. 

In 1852 his congregation occupied the great Music Hall in Boston, 
which was crowded by many, anxious to hear one whose fame had become 
so great, and whose views of theology created such a vivid sensation when 
uttered. His ideas about the interpretation of the Scriptures were too in- 
dependent to escape the denunciations of orthodoxy. He believed that they 
are interwoven with human error and superstition, while embodying in- 
spired truth. Though his labors as a minister were extraordinary, he 
traveled and lectured extensively, always carrying his bag full of books, 
and studying as he went. He, like many of our independent clergy, ex- 
pressed decided views on questions of public policy. His denunciations of 
Slavery, and those who either advocated or compromised with it, was some- 
thing more than ordinary objurgation. 

Mr. Parkei-'s health began to fail, till, in 1859, an attack of bleeding of 
the hmgs compelled him to cease his public services. He sought, in the 
West Indies, and in another European tour, relief from his maladies. Set- 
ting out from Pome, where he had passed the winter, he reached Florence 
in the spring of 18(50, very much enfeebled, and died there on the 10th of 
May of that year. He was buried in the cemetery, outside the wall, where 
a stone, bearing the simplest record, marks the spot. 

He bequeathed his library, of over thirteen thousand volumes, to the 
Free Library, of Boston ; leaving, besides, numerous printed works — one, in 
a fragmentary form, on the development of religion. 



12G. JOHN BEOWN. 

Joim Brown was born in Torrington, Connecticut, May 9, 1800. He 
was a descendant, on his father's side, of one of the Puritans of the " May- 
floAver," whose stern, uncompromising adherence to what they considered 
truth and justice, he fully inherited. 

In 1805 liis father removed with him to Hudson, Ohio, on the Western 
Reserve," in which phice and vicinity John Brown lived most of his time, 
until he removed to Kansas, in 1855. He was employed in his youth as 
cattle-driver and farmer, and, in later years, as tanner and wool-dealer. His 
early education was limited ; but he entered the School of Adversity and 
Humanity when quite young, and graduated at the University of Human 
Freedom, where he studied the science of Justice and Liberty, and com- 
menced its practice, in Kansas, in 1855. 

Here, for over a year, he worked with untiring energy to establish free- 
dom in that Territory ; and buttled manfully against the introduction of 
slavery, by the fraud and usurpations of the "Border Ruffians" from Mis- 
souri, aided and abetted by United States officers. 

l[cre, also, ho fought with heroic bravery to protect his home, and the 
homes of other free-State men, from the aggressions and murderous assaults 
of pro-Slavery men, who came there for the avowed purpose of driving them 
from the Territory. 

John Brown believed in the Declaration of Independence, which taught 
him, that "all men are created equal." He believed in the inspiration of 
the Bible, which taught him to unloose the yoke, and let the oppressed go 
free. He saw the institution of slavery blighting and blasting the manhood 
of the nation, and he determined to do what he could to destroy it. 

Inspired by tlie idea that he was commissioned from Heaven to liberate 
the ftlave, he went into Missouri, and liberated twelve slaves (who had ap- 
plied to him for lielp), whom he conducted safely to Canada, although a 
reward of ^o,000 was set upon his head. 

He afterward organized a band of twenty-one men, who went with him 
to Virginia, and, on the 14th day of October, 1859, made that celebrated 
raid upon the United States Arsenal at Harper's Ferry, which they captured 
withf.ut bloodshed ; they next secured a number of prominent slaveholders 
as ho.^tages, and issued an address to the slaves, to rise and assert their 
rights to freedom. 

It produced unparalleled excitement in Virginia, and Governor Wise 
increased the panic by a violent proclamation, and with near o,000 militia 
surrounded the town ; but it Avas not until the arrival of the United States 
Marines, under Colonel R. E. Lee, that John Brown surrendered. Two of 
his sons and a number of his men were kiiletl, and he himself wounded. 

_ He was afterward tried for treason, convicted, and hung at Charlestown, 
Virpinia, December 2, 1859. Thus ended his earthly existence; but his 
spirit still marches on. 

The demonstration at Harper's Ferry, John Brown considered of the most im 
portant character to the nation. To Mr. Cook, who, on his return from the 
North for aid, informed him that he could get none, and advised him to give up 
the undertaking, as he had not men enough to make it a success, Mr. Brown re- 
plied, "Jesus had but eleven men, and eleven is all I need. If I do not make 
this demonstration this day, tlie ol)ject of my whole life will have been lost; but 
It I make this demonstration this day, it being just before the political conventions 
are held, it will turn the political parties into Northern and Southern parties, 
and then the slave will go free through war and strife. Thank God— Mr. Cook, 
I make this demonstration this da v.'' 



127. JOHN HUGHES. 

Archbishop John Hughes was born in the North of Ireland, in tho 
year 1798. 

Hg camo to this country at the age of seventeen, and commenced his 
preparatory studies for the priesthood. 

Having spent seven years at the College of Mount St. Mary's, in Em- 
jnettsburg, Maryland, he was ord;uned in 1825, and shortly afterward was 
appointed pastor of a church in Philadelphia. Here he became popular as 
an eloquent divine and active citizen. In 1830 he discussed with Dr. John 
Breckinridge, an eminent Presbyterian clergyman, their respective dogmas, 
through the newspapers ; and in 18o4 an oral discussion took place. In 
1838 he was appointed Bishop of the Diocese of New York, and changed his 
residence to that city. 

In this position he distinguished himself by his determination in estab- 
lishing tho vigorous discipline of the Catholic Church. This brought him 
into bitter controversy with several prominent laymen, who, in some par- 
ishes, had assumed the right to control the resources of the Church. In a 
few yeax-s, howevei', this conflict was succeeded by an unexampled harmony 
and good feeling throughout the whole of the Catholic community. 

In 1840 a dispute ai-ose between the Catholics of New York and the 
authorities and citizens of New York, on the subject of common schools. 
Bishop Hughes entered into a full discussion of the subject, through the 
newspapers, and afterward in the presence of the Common-Council ; and 
won for himself great credit by tho urbane and catholic spirit in which he 
performed his duty on that important occasion. 

In 1850 Dr. Hughes was appointed by Pope Pius IX, Archbishop of the 
Diocese of New York, which was raised to a Metropolitan See. 

Archbishop Hughes was a man of unwearied exertions in active life,^ 
and secured the respect of all classes of citizens of the great city in which 
he resided. A large number of his lectures, sermons, letters, &c., have 
found their way to the public, mostly through short-hand reports, prepared 
for, and published in, the newspapers. The following are among the lec- 
tui-es which have been published : " Christianity the only Source of Moral, 
Social, and Political Regeneration," delivered in the House of Representa- 
tives of the United States, in 1847, by request of both Houses of Congress ; 
" The Church and the World ;" " The Decline of Protestantism ;" "Lecture 
on the Antecedent Cause of the Irish Famine in 1847 ;" " Lecture on the 
Mixture of Civil and Ecclesiastical Power in the Middle Ages ;" " Lecture 
on the Importance of a Christian Basis for the Science of Political Economy ;" 
" Two Lectiires on the Moral Causes that have Produced the Evil Spirit of 
the Times ;" '* Debate before the Common-Council of New York on the 
Catholic Petition Respecting the Common-School Fund," and " The Catholic 
Chapter in the History of the United States." 

He died January 3, 1804, and was buried, "after laying in state some 
days," with great pomp and ceremony. 



128. OWEN LOYEJOY. 

Owen Lovejoy was born in Albion, Kendall County, Maine, January 

His father was a clergyman and farmer. Owen worked upon the farm 
until he was eii^hteen years of ag-e, when he entered Bowdoin College. He 
iTarhiated in 1885, and emigrated to Alton, Illinois, where he engaged in 
theological studies, his brother, Rev. Elijah P. Lovejoy, being, at the time, 
the editor of the paper there which advocated anti-Slavery views. In 1837, 
the pro-Slavery citizens of Alton and the neighboring counties in Missouri, 
taking offense at the denunciations of Slavery contained in Rev. Mr. Love- 
joy's paper, a mob, consisting mostly of Missourians, crossed the river to 
Alton, and, after destroying his press, murdered him. 

Owen Lovejoy was present, and his life was sought by the mob ; but, 
notwithstanding his utter fearlessness of danger, he escaped death at their 
hands ; and from that day he devoted himself, not to revenging his brother's 
death, but to seek the overthrow of Slavery, as having been the cause of it. 
At that time, the laws of Illinois forbade the holding of anti-Slavery meet- 
ings, and subjected offenders to fines. 

Mr. Owen Lovejoy, who was then pastor of a Congregational church in 
Princeton, Bureau County, Illinois, was in the habit of holding such meet- 
ings at various places in the State ; and, when arrested, as he often was, 
and convicted and fined, he always announced at what time and place his 
next meeting would be held. 

He was often threatened with violence at these meetings ; but his firm- 
ness of purpose and determined zeal were unshaken, while his eloquence 
won many to his support. 

The authorities soon found it a vain pursuit to punish a reformer of 
such a spirit, for advocating a cause which he so conscientiously held ; and, 
eventually, those tyrannical laws were repealed. 

In 1854 Mr. Lovejoy was elected to the State Legislature, and in 1856 
his district sent him to Congress, where he continued, by re-election, until 
his death. ^ In Congress he was an active, useful member, and eloquent 
speaker. , 

Only a month before his death, he wrote to his friend, "Wm. Lloyd Gar- 
rison, the great and early apostle of anti-Slavery, his views with regard to 
the re-election of Abraham Lincoln, expressing the sentiments which filled 
the hearts of the large majority of Union men, and adding : " It seems to 
mc certain that the Providence of God, during another term, will grind 
Slavery to powder." 

Owen Lovejoy was ranked among the leading reformers of the Abolition 
school. Ho died at Brooklyn, New York, March 25, 1SG4, 



129. DAYID G. FAREAGUT. 

Admiral David G. Farragut was born about the year 1801, near 
Knoxviile, Tennessee. 

His early years were passed amid the dangers and vicissitudes of a bor- 
der life, so that, while yet a boy, be became inured to pei'il and strife. On 
one occasion he was i-escued from the cruel mercies of an Indian tomahawk 
only by the heroic bearing of his mother, who kept the red-faced enemy at 
bay until her husband, with a squadron of cavalry, caused tnem to take to 
their heels. 

A short time previous to the breaking* out of the War of 1812, his father 
was called to the command of a gunboat at New Orleans. Here was first 
formed young David's taste for the navy. His youthful ambition was soon 
gratified by Commodore D. D. Porter, who, pleased with the boy's appear- 
ance, took him on board his, own ship, the far-famed Essex. 

In a bloody engagement off Valparaiso, between the Essex and the two 
British sloops, PJiebe and Cherub, he distinguished himself by his gallant 
behavior; but when he saw the American flag hauled down, he burst into 
tears. Nor did ho willingly sui'render himself a prisoner until, after a 
pugilistic encounter with an English " Middy," he had secured a favorite 
pig, the pet of himself and fellow-sailors. 

At thirteen he was appointed Master of a British prize vessel from Guay- 
aquil to Valparaiso. 

He served on board various vessels in various parts of the world, until 
18G1, during which he had risen to the position of Captain. 

On the breaking out of the Rebellion he resisted all the flattering induce- 
ments of his many Southern friends to desert the old flag ; and, after estab- 
lishing his family at Hastings, on the Hudson, he remained ready for action 
at his country's call. 

His name was quickly suggested when the expedition against New 
Orleans was fixed upon, early in 1862. He was appointed Flag-Ofidcer of 
the fleet, and sailed in the flag-ship i/"a7*(/(9?-(Z for the "Crescent City," 
which surrendered after a desperate defense from Forts Jackson and 
St. Philip. The courage and skill dis?played by Commodore Farragut iu 
this memorable engagement won for him the gratitude and admiration of a 
generous people. 

In July, 1862, he was promoted to Rear- Admiral, and continued in com- 
mand of the Gulf blockading squadron ; passed the batteries of Port Hudson 
in March, 1863, and rendered valuable aid to General Grant, then besieging 
Vicksburg. 

In August, 1864, he succeeded in ejffecting the passage of Forts Morgan 
and Gaines, in Mobile Bay, with his fleet, destroying the Rebel ram 2'en- 
iiessee, and compelling the forts to surrender by the 23d of the month ; for 
which achievement he was promoted to Vice-Admiral, •whicli grade was 
specially created for him by Congress ; and, July .^o, 1866, he was made 
Admiral. He died August IB, 1870, in Portsmouth, N. H. His remains were 
brought to New York, October 7, where tne oiisequles of the great American ad- 
miral were celebrated on a scale of splendor amply testifying the respect and 
esteem in which the name of the dead hero is held by all Americans, previous to 
being deposited in the Woodlawn Cemetery. 



130. PRESTON S. BEOOKS. 

Preston S. Bkooks was born in Edg-efield District, South Carolina, 
in Ausrust, 1819. Graduating at the South Carolina Colhge, in 1839, he 
adopted the profession of law, and was admitted to the bar in 184o. 

Ho was elected to the Legislature of South Carolina, in 1844; and, on 
the breaking out of the Mexican War, in 1846, raised a company of vol- 
unteers, of which he was made Captain, serving in the Palmetto Regiment 
during the greater part of the campaign. At the close of the war, he 
returned to South Carolina, and settled down as a planter. 

lie was elected Representative to Congress in 1853, and re-elected in 
l8oo. The fiery debates in Congress on the Kansas difficulties — the electric 
spark that presaged the thunderbolt of war that was preparing to burst upon 
the country — aroused ever}' feeling of passion that was smothered, and lay 
smouldering, in both the Northern and Southern heart. In the midst of all 
this dense passion, this pent-up feeling found its vent in two opposite 
natures, — one sedate, classical, and confident in the justice of its cause ; the 
other passionate, impulsive, and reckless, acting under imaginary wrongs. 
Charles Sumner had made one of his most memorable speeches against the 
South, and her institution, in which he particularly criticised Senator 
Butler, of South Carolina, a near relative of Mr. Brooks. Chafing under 
this severe attack upon th^ peculiar institution of his State, and the personal 
criticism of his relative, the " chivalrous spirit" of Mr. Brooks was aroused, 
and he determined to be avenged. Entering the Senate Chamber, he com- 
mitted a personal and almost deadly assault upon the Massachusetts Senator. 

This event caused great excitement in the North, and a spirit of indig- 
nation pervaded every breast. A Senator from Massachusetts had been 
brutally assaulted in his chair by a Representative from South Carolina ! 
Henry Wilson, the colleague of Mr. Sumner, in the Senate, pronounced the 
assault "mui'derous, brutal, and cowardly ; " whereupon, Mr. Brooks chal- 
lenged him to a deadly conflict. Mi'. Wilson replied that, while he 
religiously believed in the right of self-defense, he must decline to accept 
the challenge, believing dueling to be, not only a violation of the law of 
the land, but the relic of a barbarous age. Although denounced by the 
North, Mr. Brooks was sustained by his constituents. 

The fiery spirit of Mr. Brooks was again displayed in the Presidential can- 
vass of 185G, when he threatened that, in the event of the election of John 
C. Fremont, he would " march upon Washington, seize the archives of the 
Government, and take possession of the capital." 

Disappointed in the opportunity, this threat was a foreshadowing of the 
events which occurred on the election of Abraham Lincoln, as President of 
the United States, in 1800. 

Dying in Washington, D. C, January 27, 1857, he left behind him many 
warm personal friends. 



131. CORNELIUS VANDERBILT. 

CoRNELiTTS Vandejrbilt, popularly known as the " Commodore,'' was 
born on Stateu Island, N. Y., May 27, 179 4. His father having established 
a ferry between New-York and Statcn Island, young Corneliiis had much 
to do with its management. For some five years he was engaged as boat- 
man, carrying pleasui-e parties to pic-nics, boarding ships etc. ; no matter 
how it blew, or stoimed, or froze, if •' Corueil" had agreed to boaid a ship 
or deliver a dispatch, he did it. When about sixteen years of age, he be- 
came the owner of a boat and commenced an independent career and by 
the time he was eighteen he found himself part owner and Captain of one 
of the largest periaugers in the harbor. Duriug the war of J^12. he ren- 
dered material service in furnishing supplies, by night, to the forts about 
New- York. In fact, his energy, skill and daring became so well known, and 
his word, when he gave it, could be relied upon so implicitly that '• Cor- 
nell, the boatman," as he was familiarly called, was sought after far and 
near when an expedition particularly hazardous or important was to be 
undertaken. As boatman at the age of twenty-three, he was making $4,000 
a year, but perceiving steam would ere long become the great agent of 
navigation, he in 1817 entered the service of 'I homas Gibbons, then pro- 
prietor of a Line of Steamboats running between New York and Philadel- 
phia, remaiuing in his employ twelve j'ears. 

Having made himself thoroughly acquainted with the details and 
practical management of Steam Navigation, he in 1829, left the employ of 
Mr. Gibbons and set himself to work establishing Steamboat Lines on the 
Hudson lliver, the Sound and elsewhere, in opposition to Corporations and 
Companies, who, having a monopoly of trade, made travel too expensive 
to be enjoyed by the many. His plan was always to build better and faster 
boats than his competitors, to run them at their lowest paying rates, and 
thus furnish passengers with the best and cheapest accommodations. 

For the next twenty years he applied himself to the work before him, 
with the same wisdom, and that earnest, steadfast zeal he had ever shown, 
and was eminently successful. 

Ill l^=49 he obtained a grant from the Nicarauguan Government to con- 
struct a Ship Canal from the .Atlantic to the Pacific, by the San Juan 
Kiver and Lake Nicaraiigua. but after spending considerable money in this 
enterprise it was abandoned and the Nicaraugua Transit Company was 
organized and Mr. Vanderbiit was chosen President. Under his manage- 
ment this route to California became a favorite one, and the price of passage 
was reduced from $(iOi) to $300. In 18o3 he sold out his interest, and in 
185.> established an independent line to Havre. The famous Steamboat 
"Vanderbilt" was built for this line and made the quickest time on 
record. Mr. Vanderbilt made a free gift of this splendid vessel to the 
U. S. Government m I8ti2 at a time when the Administration needed im- 
mediately a large addition to the Navy. 

In 186.) he sold out all his vessels and transfered the greater part of 
of his wealth to Railroads, and is now the largest Railroad proprietor in the 
United States, and one of the two or three richest men in the Empire 
City. It was never his plan to put away money in a chest, nor yet to 
simply invest it, but rather, in the fullest sense of the word, to use it. 
Consequently, it is said, he employs more men to-day, directly and indi- 
rectly, than any other man in th© land. 



132. JOHN A. ANDEEW. 

John A. Andrew, the 21st Governor of Massachusetts, was born at 
■\Vindham, Maine, May 31, 1818. 

In his boyhood he was marked for his freedom from vicious habits, and 
for his cheerful, sprightly, and studious disposition. 

He graduated at Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine, in 1837, when he 
removed to Bos'ton, studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1S40, and soon 
became eminent in his profession. 

Thoroughly anti-Slavery, he met the aggressions of the slave-power at 
every step by his protest, when his voice could speak for freedom. 

In 1850 the Fugitive Slave Law called forth his warmest opposition to its 
enactment, and its enforcement in Massachusetts. 

In 1858 he was elected to the Legislature of Massachusetts, and, in 18G0, 
a Delegate to the Republican Convention at Chicago which nominated 
Abraham Lincoln for President of the United States. The same year he 
was elected Governor of Massachusetts, which position he held throughout 
the war of the Eebellion, and until 1866, when he declined to be again a 
candidate. 

He foresaw in the agitation at the South, during the Presidential can- 
vass of 1860, the beginning of a fearful conflict, and prepared the militia of 
his State, beforehand, to meet the impending storm. So thoroughly had 
the militia been organized, that, on the call of President Lincoln for troops, 
in less than twenty-four hours after its reception, a regiment was on the 
march for Washington. He had given himself with untiring energy to the 
work of making the commonwealth ever ready, as she was always willing, 
to st;:nd in the front ranks against treason, and in the support of the United 
States Government. 

In the Conference of Governors at Altoona, Pennsylvania, in September, 
1862, he was conspicuous in hopeful, ardent patriotism, and prepared the 
address to the Pn sident, urging the issue of a call for three hundred 
thousand new troops to the field. 

His message of January, 1861, read like a prophetic oracle. He showed 
the constant loyalty of Massachusetts, and her willingness to defend, at any 
cost, the National life. 

In his message of May 1, he opens with these laconic words : " The 
occasion demands action, and it shall not be delayed by speech." He then 
points out what is to be done, and how it is to be done, in the tersest lan- 
guage. 

Governor Andrew's valedictory address of January, 1866, was closely 
argumentative, severely logical, with no superfluous woic:s ; and it will 
stand as one of the ablest papers on Resonstructiou ever placed before the 
people. 

His message of April 17, 1865, on the death of Abraham Lincoln, was, 
perhaps, one of his best efforts In it he says: " Let the Government and 
the people resolve to be brave, faithful, impartial, and just. With the 
blessing of God, let us determine to have a Country, the Home of Liberty 
and civilization." 

He died suddenly, of apoplexy, October 30, 1867. 



' V Sta? 



133. JOHN VAN BUEEN. 

John Van Buren, a gentleman of mark and prominence, botli as a 
lawyer and a politician, was the son of Martin Van Buren, the 8th President 
of the United States, and was born at Hudson, New York, in February, 
1810. 

He graduated at Yale College in 1828, studied law with Benjamin F. 
Butler, at Albany, and the Hon. Aaron Vanderpool, at Kinderhook, and 
was admitted to the bar in 1830. Though an able lawyer and an eloquent 
adv'ocate, he was less distinguished at the bar than in political life. 

Mr. Van Buren accompanied his father while Minister to England, in 
1832, which gave him an opportunity of becoming familiar with the higher 
classes of British society. 

In 1845 he was chosen as Attorney-General of the State of New York, 
and at the termination of his service settled in the city of New York, in the 
practice of his profession, frequently taking part in the political affairs of 
the day. 

During the Presidential canvass of 1848, he distinguished himself as a 
popular advocate of the Free-Soil party, and of the exclusion of Slavery 
from the Federal Territories. He did not, hoAvover, adhere to the princi- 
ples Avhich were subsequently developed by that party ; but, during the 
latter years of his life, acted with the Democratic party, often taking an 
active interest in the canvass. 

In May, 18GG, he left New York for an European tour, traveling exten- 
sively, during the summer, in Sweden, Norway, and Russia, and spending 
a few weeks, previous to his embarkation for home, in the Highlands of 
Scotland. 

Mr. Van Buren's health had previously been impaired, but on his return 
voyage the symptoms of his disorder gave evidence of sudden aggravation. 
After a brief period of suffering, he expired, on board the steamer Scotia, 
on the 13th of October, 18GG. 

As an advocate, Mr. Van Buren was distinguished by an overwhelming 
oratory, which irresistibly carried the jury with him. He was always an 
eloquent and interesting speaker, but it was chiefly as a stump-orator, ad- 
dressing a popular audience, that John Van Buren was celebrated. Ho 
possessed an easy, but graceful manner, with a happy flow of wit, which 
delighted the Democratic crowds, whom he held enchained, or roused to 
loud and boisterous mirth. 

On the breaking out of the Rebellion, he placed himself on the side of 
the Union, as a War Democrat, and was one of the speakers at the great 
Union meeting which assembled at Union Square, New York, in 1861. 

Mr. Van Buren, though frequently solicited, never sought office, and 
died with unsullied patriotism, predominant in death. 



Q 
134. WM. H* CHANNING, 

TTm. H. CnANNlXG, a celebrated divine, the champion of free thought 
and free limbs, was born at Newport, Ilhode Island, April 7, 1778. As a 
boy, he was thoughtful and amiable, winning the love of his schoolmates 
and teachers. 

At a very early age he was imbued with religious reverence ; and thought, 
with an unusual degree of mental vigor, upon the abstract dogmas of theol- 
ogy, lie was the soul of honor, and ever ready to take the part of the op- 
pressed among his playmates. Washington AUston, the poet-paiuter, 
describes him as an " open, brave, and generous boy." 

He entered Harvard College in 171)4, and graduated in 1798, with the 
highest honors of his class. 

In 1801 he was made Regent in Harvard University, and the following 
year, having been licensed b)^ the "Cambridge Ministerial Association." he 
comTncnccd preaching, and was settled over the Federal-Street Society, June 
1, 1803, lie retained the office of Pastor of this church and Society until 
his death, which occurred at Bennington, Vermont, on the 2d of October, 
1842, wliile on a journey for his health. 

Dr. Channing was small in stature, and always had the appearance of 
being in a very depressed condition of health. When he rose to speak, his 
voice, scarcely rising above a tremulous whisper, caused a strong feeling of 
disappointment and regret ; but, as he warmed with his theme, his form 
seemed to dilate until you forgot his diminutiveness, and his voice rose to 
such a clear, sonorous note, that every vibration thrilled to the very soul. 

Few men were so eloquent as he ; but it was not the eloquence of the 
schools. It was the manly earnestness, with which he impressed upon his 
audience the greatness of his subject and the solemnity of his mission, and 
enchained the souls of his hearers, and melted them into tenderness and 
humility. 

Dr. Channing was an uncompromising advocate of human freedom. He 
sought, with all his might, t) take away the irons from the limbs of the 
enslaved, and to disinthrall the human mind from the fetters of party, and 
the debasing creeds of sects. 

He was an ardent patriot, and his heart bled for every stain that fell 
upon the escutcheon of his country's glory. 

AVhon the New England church divided on what were called the Unita- 
rian and Calvanistic doctrines, he took the liberal side, only as choosing the 
least of two evils, and labored while he lived to do away with sectarian 
names and badges, and to bring all real and sincere believers together, under 
the broad and single name of Christians. 

Dr. Channing was a man of the purest life and spirit. The sins which 
so easily beset and contaminate muny great and good men, were shed by the 
immaculate mantle of his life without leaving a trace behind. In liiru there 
waano guile,. 



*S>J 



135. HOSEA BALLOU. 

HoSEA Ballou was born in Richmond, New Hampshire, April 80, 
1771. His father was a Baptist minister, and, at quite an early age, Hosea 
received deep religious impressions, and joined his father's church. When 
he was about fourteen years old, considerable stir was made by che presence 
of several Universalist ministers in his native place, some of whom he heard. 
Their discourses led him to inquire if their doctrine was consistent with the 
Bible, and he resolved to give the subject a thorough investigation. In this 
labor he had no other book than the Bible, to the study of which he applied 
an honest mind and a sturdy purpose to adopt such views as might oe 
derived from its teachings. The result was, that he embraced the views of 
those preachers, and openly avowed his change ; in consequence of which he 
was excommunicated from the Baptist church, when his thoughts were 
turned to the subject of preaching. 

In 1791, Mr. Ballou preached his first sermon in a private house. 

He was first ordained in Oxford, in 1794, and in 1803, in Barnard, Vt., 
where he wrote and published two works : " Notes on the Parables," and a 
" Treatise on the Atonement." 

These volumes he compiled without the aid of any other books than the 
Bible ; and, although there is little scholastic polish to be found in them, 
the marks of his keen logic and biting satire are to be seen on nearly every 
page. On the 8th of November, 1809, he was installed over the Universalist 
Society in Portsmouth, N. H., where ho remained until 1815, when he 
removed to Salem, Mass., and remained two years, and then accepted the 
call of the Second Universalist Society in Boston, where he was installed 
December 25, 1817, as its first Pastor. Here he continued during the remain- 
der of his life, living in great harmony with his people, and laboring inces- 
santly, both at home and abroad, in the various duties of his profession. 

He fell quietly asleep on the 7th of June, 1852, in the eighty-first year 
of his age. 

The labors of Mr. Ballou were arduous and extensive. He traveled 
widely throughout the United States, visiting the churches and establishing 
new ones. 

Although he seldom wrote his sermons, few clergymen have written 
more than he. His controversial writings would make many large tomes of 
theological lore. Few preachers have produced a stronger sensation, or left 
upon the circle of their mission a more enduring effect than he. Without 
education, without patronage, with nothing but his own strong powers of 
intellect, amidst the bitterest opposition, he succeeded in building up the 
cause to which he devoted his life. For his attentions to the wants of his 
people in sickness and in sorrow, he won their love ; and, quite early in life, 
he passed among them as " Father Ballou." 



136. LYMAN BEECHER. 

Rev. Lyman Beeciietj, a distinguished Clergyman, was born in New 
Haven, Connecticut, Sei^tembcr 12, 1775. 

He prepared for college under the immediate supervision of the village 
pastor, and in due time graduated at Yale College, where he afterward 
remained two or three years, studying- divinity under Dr. Dwight, then 
President of that institution. 

In 17i)8 he received his license for the ministry, and was soon called to 
take charge of the First Congregational Society in East Hampton, Long 
Island, where he labored with marked fidelit}'- for more than two years. In 
1810 he removed to Litchfield, Conn., where he settled as Pastor over the 
First Congregational Society of that place. He remained in charge of this 
Christian flock for sixteen years, and preached with great success. Having 
married, he found himself, ere long, surrounded with a numerous family — 
** The Clergyman's Blessing " — and he set himself to work to improve tlie 
condition of the community in which his children were to be reared. He 
raised the standard of education in the schools, and became an efficient and 
successful laborer in the cause of Temperance, to which he devoted his sin- 
gular energies throughout a long life, and to which he was to the last as 
freshly devoted as in the palmy days of his youth. 

He also entered, heart and soul, into all the great questions of moral 
reforms ^yhich then began to agitate the churches ; and, during this period, 
assisted in the establishment of the Connecticut Education Society, the 
American Bible Society, the Connecticut Missionary Society, and other 
associations of a similar character. 

In 182G great defection had taken place in Boston and neighboring 
parts of New England into Unitarianism, following the lead of Dr. Chan- 
ning, and others in sympathy with him, and Dr. Beecher was chosen, out of 
all the other clergy in New England, to uphold the standard of the ancient 
Puritan faith against their desertion, and he took charge of the Hanover 
Street Calvanistic Society in Boston, where he labored for six or seven 
years with great zeal and considerable success. His ministry partook 
largely of the controversial, and he flung himself into the thickest of the 
battle. 

In 1832 he was appointed to the Presidency of the Lane Theological 
Seminary at Cincinnati; and, at the same time, he took charge of the Second 
Presbyterian Society in that city, which double charge he performed with 
great vigor of intellect and body until about the year i'8o2, when he resigned 
all public and official relations, and removed to Boston, where he afterward 
resided, enjoying the respect of all who knew him and the proud satisfac- 
tion of seeing his children " a numerous brotherhood," occupying command- 
ing positions in society, and rendering themselves famous by their labors in 
the cause of truth and humanity. 

Dr. Beecher published much during his life, consisting, principally, of 
ficrmons delivered on various occasions. He is also author of a volume on 
i oiitical Atheism," and was always a zealous advocate of the Temperance 
movement, and may be regarded as one of the chief founders of the "Tem- 
perance Reform." 

in iSGO^^^"^ ''^ ^^'"^ residence of his caa, Henry Ward Beecher, in Brooklyn, 



137. WILLIAM D. PORTER. 

Commodore William D. Porter was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, 
in 1809, but was educated in Pennsylvania, and appointed to the navy from 
Massachusetts, He was the son of Commodore David Porter, who distin- 
pfuished himself in the War of 1812, and a brother of Admiral David D. 
Porter, who also distinguished himself on many occasions in the late war. 

When the Rebellion broke out, W. D. Porter was cruising in the sloop-of- 
war St. Mary's. Being a Southern man by birth, his loyalty was suspected ; 
hearing which, he wrote a characteristic letter to the Government, defending 
himself from the aspersion. 

He was afterward sent to the AYestem waters under Commodore Foote, 
who was preparing a fleet to open the Mississippi. The vessel selected for 
him to command was the St. Louis (ferry-boat), which he converted into a 
formidable iron-clad gun-boat in eighteen days, fighting the enemy while 
constructing it. Ho named it the " Essex,^^ after the ship in which his gal- 
lant father fought his desperate battle with the ^^ Alert, ^^ near the port of 
Valparaiso, in 1812. 

Although it had an ignominious birth, it was destined to win a great 
reputation. 

He accompanied Commodoi'o Foote up the Tennessee River, and took part 
in the attack on Fort Henry. 

As Foote with his flag-ship moved up to the fort, the Essex hugged him 
close, and, when fire was opened, lay alongside. The heavy shot from the 
batteries pounded her mailed sides, and made her quiver from stem to stern. 
Yet Porter kept creeping nearer to them, pushing into the very vortex of the 
fire. Amid the crashing of shot and bursting of shell, above, around, and 
against the sides of the ship, his bearing was grand and heroic. AYhen 
within a few hundred yards of the fort, as he was watching the effect of 
the fire, a 32-pound shot struck his vessel, just above the port-holes, killed 
a man by his side, and landing in the boiler, sent the stream through the 
vessel, and fatally scalded many of the sailors ; Porter himself was also 
scalded, and became temporarily blinded from the eff'ects. 

While recruiting, he had the Esaex repaired, and on the 9th of July 
started down the Mississippi River to join the fleet at Vicksburg, his brother 
and Admiral Farragut coming up from below. 

Here the formidable Rebel ram Arkansas made its appearance, passing 
through the fleet without being affected by their broadsides, and placing her- 
self under the batteries of the fort. Such a formidable vessel could not be 
trusted on the river, and Porter volunteered, alone and unaided, to destroy 
her. He went down under the fire of the battei-ies of the fort and the ram, 
where he attacked and partially disabled her. He intended to have struck 
her with his armed bow, but she avoided him. The ram afterward 
withdrew for repairs, when Porter attacked and set fire to her magazine, 
causing it to explode. 

Thus by his daring, one of the most dangerous impediments to our suc- 
cess on the river was destroj^ed. He then started down the river, passing 
Port Hudson under a galling fii-e, unharmed, destroying one of the batteries, 
and arrived at New Orleans, where a Commodore's commission awaited him; 
but he did not live to enjoy it, for disease had set in, and he was obliged to 
return to the North for his health, where he soon after died, at St. Luke's 
Hospital, in New York, in 1862, in the fifty-third year of his age. 



138. J. FENIMOEE COOPER 

J. Feximore Cooper Avas born in Bordentown, New Jersey, September 
15, 1789. At the age of ten, his father removed to Cooperstown, New York. 
lie was fitted for college under the training of E.ev. Mr. Ellison, Kector of 
St. Paul's Church, Albany. 

After spending a few years m studying* the classics, he entered the navy 
at a still very early age ; and, during a few years of service, gave such evi- 
dence of his fitness for a naval leader that a commission was about to bo 
tendered to him, when he fell a victim to Cupid, and surrendered himself to 
the bands of Hymen. 

After his marriage, he gave himself up to pleasure, travel, and litera- 
ture, for some years, during which time he stored his mind with the rich 
materials which he has since wrought into such delightful fabrics. 

His first serious attempt at novel-writing (after various contributions to 
the litei-ary journals) came before the world under the title of *• Precaution." 
Then came the " Spy," and " Pioneers," and " Pilot," and a whole brood of 
flattering successors, the very enumeration of which we have no room for, 
each adding to the fame of the author, as each was perused by the enthusi- 
astic and expectant readers. 

His last work was published in 1849, and Mr. Cooper's mortal remains 
were committed to the dust in 1851. But he still lives in the hearts of 
grateful millions, whose spirits have been stirred Within them by his touch- 
ing pathos, and whose love of country has been warmed into new life by the 
patriotism of his eloquent pen. 

Cooper, like Scott, has bound his phantasms so fast by history that one 
forgets while reading, that he is not dealing with sober facts. Whether wc 
sit with him on the sunny slope, and gaze over the rich landscapes his 
wizard wand has enchanted from the depth of his own rich imagination, or 
prowl with ** Leather Stockings " through the dusky and savage-begirt 
forest, or scud under bare poles over the frightened and laboring sea, or 
mingle in the ensanguined fray on the slippery decks of the " lied 
Rover," there is a freshness and reality about them that makes us forget 
that our sympathies are excited fur ideal beings, or that we are feasting 
our mental eye on painted emptiness. His writings may not have the 
finish of Irving, or the severe correctness of style to be found in Scott ; 
but there is a life-likeness about what he has written that gushes out like 
some bubbling spring on the mountain side, and sends a refreshing coolness 
to the lips. 



/ 



139. JOHN PIEEPONT. 

Rev. JorrN PiERPONT was born in Litchfield, Connecticut, April G, 1785. 
He graduated at Yale College, at the age of nineteen. 

He then became a Private Tutor in'the family of Col. William AUston, 
in South Carolina, where he remained four years. 

From lb09 to 1812 he studied law at Litchfield, and settled at New- 
buryport, Massachusetts. The War of 1812 interfered with his practice, 
and he then attempted business pursuits, with indifi'ercnt success. 

In 1818 he entered the Cambridge Divinity School. He was soon after 
installed as Pastor of the Hollis-Street Unitarian Church, at Boston. For 
twenty-five years he remained in that Pastorate, which connection, however, 
became clouded with troubles and dissensions, growing out of his strong 
advocacy of Temperance and anti-Slavery, with other philanthropic meas- 
ures, which he warmly upheld. 

In 1835 he visited Europe and Asia. In 1845 he became Pastor of the 
First Unitarian Church in Troy, New York, where he remained four years, 
and then accepted a call to the First Congregational Church at Medford, 
Mussachusetts. 

When the Avar of the Rebellion broke out, Mr. Pierpont was deeply in- 
terested, and instantly sought an active position, although then seventy-fivo 
years of age. 

He was appointed Chaplain of the Twenty-Second Massachusetts 
Regiment, by Governor Andrew. The exposure of camp-life, and the severe 
duties of the field, compelled him, much to his regret, to resign. 

Secretary Chase theu appointed him to a Clerkship in the Treasury De- 
partment, which he held until his sudden death, at Medford, August 2(5, 
18(J6, being eighty-one years of age. 

Mr. Pierpont was a thorough scholar, a graceful and facile speaker, and 
a poet of no ordinaiy power. 

His devotion to the humane and philanthropic reforms of his time, 
sprung from the highest influences of intelligence and truthfulness, and 
were carried out with the strong conscientiousness of duty. 

The era in which such men lived was, in our country, one calling for 
fearless and energetic character 

The demand was supplied by such a host as history seldom records, and 
many of the heroic spirits called forth in that holy warfare, have already 
passed away from the scenes of their earthly toils and triumphs. 



¥^ 



140. JOHN HUDSON. 

John Hudson was bom in Concord, Massachusetts, April 5, 1802. - 
He received a common-school education, and learned the trade of black- 
8mith, after which emigrated to the State of Ohio, then the "far West," 
and settled on the Western Reserve. ^ , , , . 

Hero he set up his forge and anvil, and soon acquired a profitable busi- 
ness. . . n 1 . 1 

His shrewdness and persistent perseverance m overcoming all obstacles, 
and a determination to accomplish everything he undertook, brought him 
prominently before the people of his county, and they elected him Sheriff, 
which position he hold for a number of years. 

He soon became noted for his success in hunting up fugitives from jus- 
tice, and the horse-thieves of that vicinity quickly scattered to distant parts. 

In all his professional term he never failed to arrest any culprit he was 
summoned to take into custody. -^ 

At one time, when the rivers were swollen, and many bridges were 
washed away, he was called upon about dusk to go in search of a fugitive 
from justice, who had two days the start of him, and no one knew the 
direction he had taken. 

He was at work in his shop, had on his paper hat and leather apron, and 
in his shirt sleeves. Without stopping to make any preparation, he jumped 
upon his famous horse " Yankee" (railroads were not then in operation), and, 
alter making a few inquiries of those who had seen him last, started for 
the East, and was two hundred miles away before he stopped to purchase 
a hat and coat. Having, as if by instinct, got upon his track the first day, 
he, by changing horses, rode night and day, until he caught his man in the 
farthest corner of the State of Maine, two thousand miles away. ^ 

He deeply sympathized with those oppressed by reason of their poverty ; 
and, when called upon to arrest them for debt, rather than take _them to 
jail, would often pay the debt himself, or go their security. 

He was a Democrat, and upheld the system of slavery ; but if a fugitive 
slave came to him (as they often did) for i)rotection, his political views gave 
way to the voice of humanity, and he would give them shelter, food, and 
money to speed them on to freedom. 

He was very eccentric in his ways, persistent and generous to a' fault. 
As an instance of his perseverance : While in a boat fishing for bass in a 
deep pond, he had drawn up a large one some three feet from the water,^ 
Avlicn it dropped from the hook. Determined not to lose the bass, he 
(Injpped his line, jumped from the boat, and caught the fish in his hfunds 
just as it struck the water's edge, and brought it safe to the boat. 

He was always ready to assist at the bed-sido of the sick, and his services 
were often brought into requisition by his neighbors, for he was jin excellent 
nurse. 

Having no children of his own, ho adopted and brought up a number of 
orphan relatives. 

He was a favorite in the village in which ho lived,"and "all the villagers 
claimed the privilege of calling lum " Uncle John." 

He died I'^bruary 2, 1803. 



Ul. JONAS BUTEICK. 

Colonel Jonas Butrick was born in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, 
May 2S, 1791. 

He was a descendant of one of the Pilgrims of the 3Iay-Flou:er, and a 
relative of Colonel Butrick, of Revolutionary fame. His early life was 
spent upon a farm, attending the village school during the winter months. 

In his youth he was fond of hunting ; but being too poor to own a gun, 
he made himself a bow and arrows, with Avhich he became so expert, that, 
at " Election Huntings," whichever side chose young Jonas, was sure to 
come off victorious. At an annual celebration of the " taking of Corn- 
wallis," he led the Indian regiment in the " sham-fight." It was at this 
time he received the title of Colonel. 

At the age of seventeen he was apprenticed to the saddle and harness 
trade ; and when he became of age, he had saved enough from overwork and 
wages to set up in business for himself, soon after which his natural inclina- 
tion to invent was brought into exercise by his own necessities, and he in- 
vented a truss, Avhich, from a singular circumstance, became somewhat 
celebrated : 

A gentleman of a neighboring village had, apparently, died suddenly, 
caused by a strain. Learning the circumstances. Colonel Butrick did not 
believe tha man was dead ; and, meeting the funeral at the grave-yard, he 
stated his doabts to his relatives, and they allowed him to open the coffin 
and examine the body. Atter adjusting the rupture, and applying the 
truss, the man showed signs of life, and in a few days he was walking 
about, and lived many years to bless the day that truss was invented. 

Colonel Butrick was afterward continually inventing some labor-saving 
machine ; but, like most inventors, he did not reap the benelit of his inven- 
tions — others, by some means, getting the advantage of his " new ideas." 

He, at one time, before the days of railroads, went with his own horse 
and carriage to Washington, to take out a patent, which took him near two 
months to accomplish. 

While on a visit to Boston, he first heard a total abstinence temperance 
lecture. He joined the Society, and brought the pledge to his country 
home, where he established the first Temperance Society of that town. He 
was ever after unceasing in his efforts to extend and build up the cause, 
until he had the satisfaction of seeing "New England rum" banished from 
all the public places of the village. 

When the Abolition question first began to be agitated at the North, 
Colonel Butrick was one of its earliest champions ; and he took a special 
interest in the right of petition and free discussion. He invited a noted 
speaker to lecture in his village on the subject, obtaining the use of the 
Town- Hall of the Selectmen for that purpose. When the speaker began to 
address the audience, a number of riotous spirits began to hiss, determined 
he should not speak, and one, more bold than the rest, came toward the 
platform, saying to his comrades: "Come on ; let us drive the d — n Abolition- 
ist from the hall ;" whereupon Colonel Butrick, with the " fire of the Revolu- 
tion" in his eye, sprang from the platform, seized the intruder by the collar, 
and before he could make any resistance, hurled him headlong into the 
street. Quiet was then restored, and the lecturer proceeded. 

He coatfinucd fx) lead in all the reforms of tho'day, in that part of tho 
country, until his death, which occurred Mai'ch 15, 1853. 



142. GEOEGE P. MOREIS. 

George P. Morkis was born in the city of New York in the year 1802. 
He commenced his literary career at an early age. 

Before he had attained his majority he contributed to various publica- 
tions, and in the year 1822 became the editor of The Neic York Mirror, 
which remained tmdcr his control till the year 1848, when financial embar- 
rassments compelled him to discontinue its publication. 

During this long period, the Mirror served efficiently the cause of litera- 
ture in America; and, through its pages, Willis, Fay, Cox, Legget, and a 
host of excellent writers w-ere introduced to the reading public. 

Mr. Morris also became connected with the military organization of the 
State of New York, and held the rank of Brigadier-General, 

General Morris acquired his chief reputation as a song-writer rather 
than as a journalist, one of which has gained an extensive popularity — the 
ballad of " "Woodman, Spare that Tree," — having become as well known in 
England as in the United States. 

In 1825 General Morris wrote the drama of " Brier Cliff," a play in five 
acts, founded upon events of the American Kevolution. It was performed 
forty nights in succession. 

In 1842 he wrote an opera, called " The Maid of Saxony," which was 
performed with success. 

In 1840, Messrs. Appleton & Company published an edition of his poems, 
and in 1842 Paine & Burgess published his songs and ballads. 

A volume, under the title of " The Little Frenchman and his "Water- 
Lots," was soon after issued by Lea & Blanchard, at Philadelphia. 

In 1844, in conjunction with Mr. Willis, he established a weekly paper, 
called the Neic Mirror, which was discontinued after an existence of a year 
and a half. 

The Evening Mirror was next started ; and, after being conducted by 
Morris & Willis for a year was sold out. 

A few months after. General Morris began the publication of The 
National Press and Home Journal. In November, 1846, he was joined by 
Mr. Willis, and the first number of the Home Journal was issued, the first 
part of the name used having given rise to a mistake on the part of many 
as to the objects of the paper. 

General Morris continued his association with the Home Journal and 
Mr. Willis, until his death, July 4, 1864. 

He resided at Under Cliff, opposite West Point, and was buried in the 
cemetery at Cold Spring, with William Cullen Bryant, General Dix, Pro- 
fessor Bartlett, General Sundford, Professor Weir, and Governeur Kcmble, as 
his pall-bearers ; and it was by such " bright spirits " that he was beloved. 
Mr. Morris was always sincere, affectionate, generous, appreciative of others, 
and modest of himself. He passionately loved and enjoyed music, and was 
that natural-born musician to whom all melody comes easy. Never singing 
a son- nor playing upon any manner of instrument, he could tell what was 
true lu tune or in verse by a kind of instinct. With the musically inspired, 
as pcriormors or composers, he had a natural and instinctive friendship, and 
aU who were honored with his acquaintance loved him. 



143. NATHANIEL P. WILLIS. 

Nathaniel P. Willis was born in Portland, Maine, January 20, 1807. 
"While a child, he was sent to Boston, to attend the Latin School of that citj--. 
He afterward studied at Phillips's Academy, at Anduver, and entered Yale 
College in the seventeenth year of his age. About that time he produced a 
series of poems on sacred subjects, which obtained for him some reputation. 

Immediately after lie graduated, in 1827, he was engaged by Mr. Good-' 
rich (" Peter Parley ") to edit T lie Legendary and The Token. In 1828 he 
established the Americdn Munthbj Magazine, which he conducted two years 
and a half, when it was merged into the New York Mirror, and Willis went 
to Europe. On his arrival in France, he was attached to the American 
Legation by Mr. Rives, then Minister to tlie Court of Versailles, and with a 
diplomatic passport he traveled in that country, Italy, Greece, Asia Minor, 
Turkey, and, last of all, England, where he married. 

The letters he wrote while abroad, under the title of " Pencilings by 
the Way," were first published by the New York Mirror. In 18o5 he pub- 
lished " Inklings of Adventure," a scries of tales, which appeared orig- 
inally in a London magazine under the signature of " Peter Slingsby." In 
1837 ho returned to the United States, and retired to " Glenmary," a 
pleasant seat on the Susquehanna, where he resided four years. Early 
in 1839 ho became one of the editors of the Comair, a literary gazette in 
New York, and in the autumn of the same year he went to London, where 
he published a number of volumes of poems and tragedies, and wrote the 
descriptive portions of some pictorial works on American scenery and 
Ireland. In 1843, with George P. Morris, he revived the New York Mirror^ 
which had been discontinued for several years, first as a weekly and then 
as a daily gazette, but withdrew from it on the death of his wife, in 1844, 
and made another visit to England, where he published " Dashes at Life 
with a Free Pencil," consisting of stories and sketches of European and 
American society. 

On his return to New York, in 1845, he published his complete works, 
which hlled a closel3^-printed imperial octavo volume of eight hundred 
pages. In October of the same year he married a daughter of the Hon. 
Joseph Grinneil, of New Bedford, Mass., and selected for his home the pleasant 
" Idlewild," Avhich has been made memorable by his " Out-Doors of Idle- 
wild," and later labors. About the same time he became associated with 
Mr. George P. Morris, as Editor of the Home Journal, a weekly, which 
rapidly won a large share of the public favor, and has continued, from that 
to the prest-nt time, a poi)ular organ of literature, society, fashionable life, 
and the news of the day. The extent of Mr. Willis's Avorks comprise almost 
a library of volumes, which are doubtless too well known to demand a 
repetition in this place. 

Twenty or thirty years ago Mr. Willis was the recognized leading Poet 
of America; and at that time he deserved the reputation. His earlier 
poems are marked by elegant diction, real grace, and genuine pathos. 
Several of them were at once adopted by compilers of school-books, and thus 
a largo portion of the youth of the country have become familiar with 
Willis's best productions. His elegy on the death of President Harrison, 
and his " Baptism in Jordan," are among his most widely-known poems, 

Mr. Willis enjoyed a personal acquaintance of unusual extent, and both 
here and abroad he had hosts of friends. He died of paralysis, January 20, 
1867, the sixtieth anniversary of his birth-day. 



/<^ Y 



144. WASHINGTON ALLSTON 

"NYasiiixgtox ALLSTON, the eminent Poet and Painter, -was born" in 
South Carolina, in ITSO, and graduated at Harvard College in 1800. 

The year following, he embarked for Europe, and remained abroad for 
eiirht years, studying the works of the great masters, and enjoying the 
frfendship of the most distinguished poets and painters of England and 
Italy. Among those with whom he lived on terms of familiar intimacy, 
were Wordsworth, Southcy, and Coleridge, each of whom enshrined in verse 
tlicir affectionate remembrance of his genius and virtues. He had the in- 
Btruction and friendship of West, Fuzeli, and Reynolds. 

While in Europe, he was not only ingratiated to every one wuth whom 
he came in contact, but his talents and genius commanded the respect and 
consideration of the masters of his ai't. 

"In painting, the genius of Allston was adapted to the creation of both 
the beautiful and the sublime ; although it may be inferred from the nature 
of his works, that the tendencies of his mind were to subjects of stern 
grandeur, and of strong, deep feeling. His conceptions, taken from the 
highest departments of art, were always bold and original. He possessed a 
powerful, as well as brilliant, imagination ; while the execution of his pic- 
tures was marked by a rare combination of strength, freedom, and grace. 
As a oolorist, his qualities are best described by the name applied to him 
by the artists of Italy, and by ■which, alone he was known to many, that of 
the * American Titian.' " 

Among his principal works were : " The Dead Man Restored to Life by 
Elijah," "The Angel Liberating Peter from Prison," "Jacob's Dream," 
"Elijah in the Desert," "The Angel Uriel in the Sun," "Saul and the 
Witch of Endor," " Spalatro's Vision of the Bloody Hand," " G-abriel Setting 
the Guard of the Heavenly Host," " Anne Page and Slender," "Beatrice," 
and other exquisite productions. 

Daring the last years of his life, Mr. Allston was engaged upon a chef- 
d'oeuvre, calh'd " Belshazzar's Eeast," which, most unfortunately for the 
honor of his name and the credit of the art, ho was not permitted to com- 
plete. Enough was accomplished, however, to show that the ripened mind 
ot the great artist was not marred nor weakened by any manifestation of 
physical decay. It is the production of a great mind and heart. 

Mr. Allston also cultivated the muses with considerable success, A 
small volume of his poems were published in London, in 1813 ; and his poems 
afterward contributed to the press, rank him among the first American 
poets. 

_Ho published a tale called " Monaldi," a work of great power and beauty. 
It is full of delicate touches in its coloring, and shows him to have been 
])o.ssessod of a soul keenly alive to all that is beautiful and pure in nature 
and in humanity. 

In the classic shades of Cambridge, Mr. Washington Allston, the Painter, 
root, and Poet- Painter, bade adieu to the scenes of earih, on the 9th of July, 
lb4j, in the sixty-fourth year of his age. 



145. WASHINGTON lEYING. 

Washington Irving was born Aisril 3, 1782, in the city^of New York. 
He was the youngest son of a numerous family, and received . his academic 
honors at Columbia College. ' - 

About this time he commenced his career as a public'writer by contribu- 
ting a scries of letters to the Morning Chronicle, under the signature of 
*' Jonathan Old-Style." These juvenile essays attracted mxich notice at the 
time ; and, in 182o or 1824, were collected and published without the sanc- 
tion of the avithor. _^ . _ 

On leaving college, he commenced the study of the law ; and, after read- 
ing the allotted time, duly installed himself in that profession," and 
opened an office in New York City. It is said that he never was so unfortunate 
as to have but one client, and his cause he was altogether too diffident to 
manage ; so, turning over both client and cause to one of his brethern who' 
had less modesty, he left the profession in disgust, and decided to pursue 
the more flowery path of literature. In this choice he evinced a rare judg- 
ment; some say he committed a happy blunder. ^Itj\vas_tohim_the only 
sure one to fame. 

In 1804 Mr. Irving visited Europe for his health," and returned in 180G. 
In December, 1809, he published his " Knickerboclcer History of New York," 
In 1810, his two brothers, who were engaged in commercial business, gave 
him an interest in the concern, with the understanding that he was to 
pursue his literary avocation. 

On the close of the war, in May, 1815, he embarked for Liverpool, with 
the intention of making a second tour of Europe, but was prevented by the 
sudden reverses which followed the return of peace, overwhelming the house 
in which he had an interest, and involving him in its ruin. 

In 1818, while residing m London, he wrote and published his "Sketch- 
Book ;" and, after seventeen years' residence in Europe, during which he 
wrote various works, and held, for several years, the office of Secretary of 
Legation to the American Embassy in London, he returned to New York in 
1832, and was greeted everywhere with the warmest enthusiasm. 

In 1842 he was appointed Minister to Spain, in which capacity he had 
evidence enough of his unfitness for the drudgery of official detail. He was 
better adapted to pour into the living souls of millions of his race the 
refreshing and strengthening waters of a benevolent, holy, and highly inten- 
sified intelligence. He returned in 184G ; and, in 1850, commenced his " Life 
of Washington," completing his last and fifth volume in April, 1859. 
The versatility of Mr. Irving's pen is wonderful, and its power to create a 
laugh "beneath the ribs of death," or wring a tear of genuine sympathy 
from the eye of cold philosophy, all have been compelled to confess. There 
is, too, a freshness and raciness in all he wi'ote that smacks of nothing but 
his own high genius and all-embracing heart. Pick up a stray leaf from 
any of his many books, and though it have no mark or signature to identify 
it, yet jovi will know it by the faithful daguerreotyped lineament of his 
beautiful and harmonious mind. Unlike some whose charter of nobility 
lies in their pen, Mr. Irving was the personation of his best fictions — a true 
gentleman, and kind neighbour. 

His beautiful " Sunnyside" residence was as quiet and sheltered as the 
heart of man could desire, in which to take refuge from the troubles and 
cares of the world. He died, November 28, 1859. 



146. LYMAN TRUMBULL. 

Lymax Trj'MnrLL was born at Colchcstor, Connecticut, in 1813, and received 
his ediu-ation at Bacon Academy in that town. His father, Benjamin Trumbull, 
Avas a lawyer, and his grandfiither was the Rev. Dr. Trumbull, who wrote a 
history of Connecticut. The subject of this sketch, after teaching a district 
school for several seasons in Connecticut, went to Georgia, in 1833, where he 
taught school for three years in the Greenville Academy, and, in the mean time, 
studied law. In 1837, he removed to Illinois, and settled at Belleville, where he 
commenced the practice of his profession. In 1840, he was elected a member of 
the Legislature from St. Clair County on the Democratic ticket. In 1841, he was 
appointed Secretary of State, which position he held for two years. In 1848, he 
was elected one of tlie three justices of the Supreme Court of the State, and, draw- 
ing the short term of three years, he was reelected, in 1851, for nine years. 

In 1853, be resigned the judgeship, and resumed the practice of his profession 
at Alton, where he then resided. On the repeal of the Missouri Compromise, in 
May, 1854, Judge Trumbull took issue with his political friends who advocated 
that measure, and was largely instrumental in the organization of vvhat was known 
in Illinois as the Anti-Nebraska Democrats, being Democrats who opposed the 
opening of the territories to slavery, from which, by the Missouri Compromise, 
it had been excluded. 

In the fall of 1854, he became the Anti-Nebraska candidate for Congress 
in the Eighth District, then the strongest Democratic District in Illinois, and was 
elected over the regular Democratic candidate by 261 1 majority. The Legislature, 
chosen at tlie same time, consisted of one hundred members, and was made up of 
Democrats, Whigs, Americans, and Anti Nebraska Democrats. 

When the election of United States Senator, to succeed James Shields, took place 
in the following February, no one party had a majority. After eight ineffectual 
ballotings, on one of which Abraham Lincoln received forty-five votes. Judge 
Trumbull was, on the ninth ballot, elected, receiving 51 out of 99 votes cast. 

On the expiration of his term, in 18G1, he was reelected without opposition ; 
and again, in 1867, he was reelected for a third term, which will expire in 1873. 

When the Republicans came into power in the United States Senate, in 1861, 
Judge Trumbull was made Chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary, which 
position he has held ever since. Being at the liead of that committee, most of 
the important legislation relating to reconstruction has passed through his hands. 

The first act ever passed by Congress for freeing slaves emanated from him, 
and was approved by Mr. Lincoln, August 6, 18G1. lie reported and had charge in 
Its i>assagetlirough the Senate of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Coustituiion, 
abohshmg slavery, and was the Author of the Civil Rights Act. 



X 



147. FLETCHEE WEBSTEE. 

Colonel Fletcheii Webster, of the 12th. IMassachusetts' VoltmteerB, 
was the last surviving' child of the late Daniel Webster, and \vas born at 
Portsmouth, New Hampshire, July 2o, ISlo. 

Commencing- his education in Boston, he graduated at Harvard Uni- 
versity in ISoo, and entered upon the study of the law at Hopkinton, 
N. H., and began the practice in 1836. Marrying in that year, ho 
removed to Detroit, Mich., and remained there one year, when he re- 
moved to La Salle, 111. Residing there four years, he became an active 
member of a sporting club, and proved his efficiency as a good shot, and 
daring rider, in the chase of the wolf and the deer. 

During the period of his fatlier's administration of the State Depart- 
ment, he was appointed Chief Clerk, and filled it creditably. He subse- 
quently accompanied Caleb Cushing, as Secretary of Legation, to China; 
and, on his return, in 1845, delivered several lectures on China and the 
Chinese, 

Elected to the Massachusetts Legislature in 1847, as a Representative 
from Boston, he distinguished himself in a very able speech in support of a 
resolution appropriating $20,000 in aid of the Massachusetts regiment 
raised for the Mexican War. 

In 1850 President Taylor appointed Colonel Webster to the office of 
Surveyor of the port of Boston, an office which he continued to hold undc r 
the subsequent administrations of Presidents Pierce and Buchanan. 

In 1855, he edited a valuable edition of his father's correspondence. ' lie 
subsequently published, anonymously, several humorous poems ; and had 
he cultivated literature as a profession, he might have_ taken high rank as 
a man of letters. 

At the beginning of the Rebellion, Colonel Webster raised the 12th 
Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteers. Mustered into service at Fort 
Warren, June 20, ISGl, it left Boston on the 2od of July, and ai'rived at 
Sandy Hook, Md., on the 2Tth. Marching next to the Monocacy River, 
Hyattstown, Darnestown, Muddy Branch, Edwards' Ferry, Poolsville, and 
Seneca Mills, they finally wintered near Frederick, Md. Moving into 
the Shenandoah Valley on the 22d of January, 18G2, they were in active 
operations at Charlestown, Winchester, Berry ville. Snicker's Gap, Aldie, and 
Grove Creek. Leaving, on the 28th, for Cub Run, they marched the next 
day for Bull Run, and from this time till August they operated in the Shen- 
andoah Valley, their activity of service confining them but briefly to one 
point. They took part in the battle of Cedar Mountain on the 9th of August, 
and, on the 20th, in the battle of the Rappahannock. Continually on the 
move from that time until the end of the month, they participated in the 
battle of Grovetown, August 80, 18G2, where^ Colonel Webster was 
mortally wounded. 



tr 



148. HENEY WINTEE DAVIS. 

Henkt Winter Davis was born at Annapolis, Maryland, August 16, 
1S17. Ilis education began early, at home, under the care of his auni, Eliza- 
beth Brown "Winter, -who taught him to read before he was four years old, 
thouiih mucli against his will. 

His father removed to Wilmington, DeL, where Henry was instructed 
under his own supervision ; but, in 1837, he returned to Maryland, and 
settled in Anne Arundel County, where Henry became very much devoted 
to out-door life, roaming the fields with his gun, accompanied by one of his 
fathor's slaves. 

While here he saw much of slaves and Slavery which impressed him 
profoundly, and laid the foimdation for those opinions which he so heroically 
and constantly defended in after-life. Referring to this period, he said : 
" Being a boy, the slaves spoke with more freedom before me than they 
would before a man. They felt wronged, and sighed for Freedom. They 
were attached to my father, and loved me; yet they habitually spoke of the 
day when God would deliver them." 

He subsequently attended school at Harvard, and afterward entered 
Kcnyon College, in Ohio, in 1833, where he graduated in 1837. 

His father dying, left him a number of slaves; but he never held any of 
them under his authority, nor would he accept any of their wages, and ten- 
dered each and all a deed of absolute manumission, whenever the law would 
allow. 

He entered the University of Virginia in 1839 ; and, after a thorough 
course at tliat institution, entered upon the practice of the law in Alexan- 
dria, Virginia. His ability and industry attracted attention, and he soon 
acquired a respectable practice. His natural aptitude for public affairs 
made itself manifest in due time, and some articles wliich he prepared on 
municipal and State politics gave him a great reputation. 

He also published a series of newspaper essays, wherein he dared to 
question the divinity of Slavery. 

In 185U he removed to Baltimore, and immediately a high professional, 
social, and political position was awarded him. He became prominent in 
the Whig party ; and, in 1852, in the Scott campaign, was everywhere 
known as the " brilliant orator and sviccessful controversialist." He after- 
ward led off in the American movement, and was elected to the Thirty-Fourth, 
Thirty-Fifth, and Thirty-Sixth Congress, by the American party, and to the 
Thirty-Eighth by the Unconditional Union party of the Fourth District of 
Maryland. Mr. Davis's most striking characteristics were his devotion to 
principle and his indomitable courage. He hated Slavery, and he did not 
attempt to conceal it. It was through his persevering energy that Maryland 
was redeemed from the leprous stain of this institution. 

He lived to witness the triumph of his country in its desperate struggle 
with treason — to see it rescued from the grasp of despotism, and rise vic- 
torious, with her garments purified, and her brow radiant with the unsullied 
light of Liberty. He lived to greet the return of Peace, and then he gently 
) ' '<f "^1 ^^-"^ "^*^^ ^'^^ bosom, and breathed out his noble spirit, Decem- 
ber JU, laOo, so quietly, that no one knev/ the moment of liis departure. 



149. JOHN A. DIX. 

General John A. Dix wa-» born in Bosccwan, Now Hampshire, July 24, 
1798. At aa early ag3 ho was sent to ihid academy at Salisbury ; afterward 
at Exeter; and, in 1811, when fourteen yeari old, h'3 was transferred to a 
college at Montreal under the direction of tha Fathers of the Sulj^ician 
Order, whero ho diligently pursued hia studies, until hostilities commenced 
between tho L'nited State:* and Great Britain, Avhen ho was compelled to 
return. After a short study at Boston, ha was appointed a Cadet in the 
United States army, and was ordered to Baltimore, Avhere his father was 
then in command. 

In March, 1813, the Secretary of "War offered him, without solicitation, 
the choice of a scholarship at West Point or an Ensigncy in the army. He 
choose the latter, and entered the Fourteenth Infantry, of which his father 
was Lieutenant-Colonel,.and immediately marched to Sackett's Harbor, N. Y. 

In June, 1813, while only in his fifteenth year, he was appointed Adjutant 
of an independent battalion, with which he descended the St. Lawrence, and 
participated in the perils and hardships of that unfortunate expedition. Tlie 
same year, his father having died, he obtained leave of absence to settle 
his father's estate, which had become embarrassed. 

In 1814, he was transferred to the corps of artillery, under Colonel Walbach, 
with whom he continued several years. 

In 1810 he was appointed Aid to General Brown, and passed his leisure 
hours in studying law, with a view of leaving the army at an early day. 

In 1825 he was promoted to a captancy in the Third Artillery, and the 
same year, his health failing him, he traveled in Cuba and Europe. 

In December, 1828, he retired from the army, and commenced the practice 
of law in Cooperstown, N. Y. lie also entered political life, and became 
an active member of the Democratic party. In 1830 he was appointed 
Adjutant-General of the State. In January, 1833, he was chosen Secretary 
of State of New York. In 1841 he was elected Member of Assembly; went 
to Europe again a second time in 1842 ; and, on his return, in January, 1845, 
elected a Senator to Congress, to fill the jdace of Silas "Wright, who was 
made Governor of New York. He represented the " Barn-Burners," or 
Free-Soil Democrats of New York. 

In 1848 he was a candidate for Governor of New York ; but, not being 
'successful, he retired to private life. In 1853 he was appointed Assistant 
(Treasurer of the United States at New York City. In May, 18G0, he was 
appointed Post-Master of New York ; and, in January, 18G1, was made Sec- 
retary of the Treasury by President Buchanan. 

On the 29th of January, he sent that celebrated telegraphic dispatch to 
Mr. W. H. Jones, whom he had previously sent to New Orleans, with orders 
to save, if possible, the revenue cutters McClelhni and Cass : "If any one 
attempts to haul down the American Flag, shoot him on the spot." He 
retired from the Treasury in March, 18G1 ; and, on the 20th of May, presided 
at the immense meeting at Union Square, N. Y., which organized " The 
Union Defense Committee," and elected him Chairman. 

He was appointed Major-General of Volunteers, May 6, 18G1 ; and, on the 
14th of June, the President appointed him to a similar position in the Regu- 
lar Army. July 20, having been appointed to com.mand of the Department 
of Maryland, he was ordered to Baltimore, where he established his head- 
quarters. In 18G2 he was transferred to Eastern Virginia, with headquarters 
at Fortress Monroe ; and, frcra 1863 to 1866, he commanded the Department 
of the North, with headquarters at New York. In 18G8 he wag appointed 
Minister to France. - ^ 



150. OLIVEE r. MOETON. 

Oliver P. Morton was born in Wayne County, Indiana, August 4, 1823; 
graduated at the Miami University, studied and praeuced law. He was elected 
Circuit Judge of the Fifcli Judicial Circuit of Indiana, in 1852. 

In 1856, Mr. Morton was the Republican candidate for Governor of Indiana, 
and made considerable reputation for himself during the canvass, but was defeated 
by a small majority. In 1860, he was elected Lieutenant-Governor of the State of 
Indiana on the san'ie ticket with Governor Lane. The election of Mr. Lane to the 
Senate of the United States elevated Mr. Morton, according to the provisions of 
the State Constitution, to the office of Governor. In that position, not only 
from its prominence and importance, but from the ability in its discharge 
displayed by Governor Morton, ho became the leading- man in, as well as the 
liead of, the State. 

The war, breaking like a thunderbolt suddenly upon the country, Indiana, 
like most of the States, was divided in sentiment, and the Indiana Legis- 
lature, which was overwlielminglv loyal at that time, voted over $2,000,000 to as- 
sist the National Government. The Legislature of 1862 and 1863 was, however, 
disloyal, and Governor Morton, as a zealous advocate of the war to suppress the re- 
bellion, found himself hampered in his efforts to adopt measures in aid of its vigo- 
rous prosecution. To surround him with these difficulties, one of the most effectual 
methods to do so, was for his opponents to adjourn the Legislature without making 
provisions to pay the State debt. Such a movement, in the event of its suc- 
cess, would have resulted in the destruction of the credit of the State ; and 
to avert such a calamity, at such a time. Governor Morton set vigorously to 
work to procure the means wherewith to liquidate the liability. 

Receiving his unfaltering aid, though surrounded by his enemies, vigilant 
for hi.^ defeat, the United States Government could, at all times, depend 
upon Governor Morton for co-operation and support in conducting the war. 

Re-elected Governor in 18G4, he received a majority of twenty-one 
thousand of the popular vote. 

In political sentiments. Governor Morton belongs to the ilepublican side 
of politics denominated Radical ; and, in 1867, was elected to the United 
States Senate. Basing his opinions upon no one contracted idea, he possesses 
a grasp of mind which places him, as a public man, in the first rank of 
statesmen. Of great ability, he is a ready and fluent speaker, and has, as 
was predicted, made one of the ablest and most distinguished members of 
the United States Senate. 

Previous to the trial of the impeachment of President Johnson, Governor 
Morton was prominently spoken of as the probable President of the Senate, 
in order to succeed the President of the United States in the event of con- 
viction following his impeachment. Considering the brief time he had 
been a member of that body, this testimonial in his favor shows how deep 
an impression his commanding talents and statesmanlike bearing made upon 
the Senate. 

The great reputation which Governor Morton gained during the financial 
embarrassments of his State serves him now, with his experience, in the 
Senate. He is one of the foremost men upon the Reconstruction and 
imancial questions now in that body. 

A recent controversy, involving 'the public finances, has recently taken 
place between him and Horace Greeley, which has attracted wide attention. 



151. EOBEET ANDEESON. 

General Bocekt Anderson, the hero of Fort Sumter, was born in 
Kentucky, in 1^05. He entered West Point Academy in 1821, o-raduated in 
li>25, and was rnado Brevet Second Lieutenant in the Third Artillery. 
During the Black Hawk War he acted as Inspector-General of the Illinois 
Volunteers, and in June, 1833. he was promoted to a First Lieutenancy. 
From 1835 to 1837 he was Assistant Instructor at the United States Military 
Academy ; but was assigned to the staff of General Winfield Scott, as Aid- 
de-camp, in 1838. In 1839 he published his "Instructions for Field 
Artillery, Horse and Foot; Arranged for the Service of the United States," 
a hand-book of great practical value. 

His services in the Indian troubles were acknowledged by a Brevet Cap- 
taincy, April S, 1838. In July of the same year he was made Assistant 
Adjutant-General, with the rank of Captain, and full Captain in 1841. 

In March, 1817, he was with his regiment in the army of General Scott, 
and took part in the siege of V'era Cruz, being one of the officers to whom 
was intrusted tlie command of the batteries. This duty lie accomplished 
with signal skill and gallantry. lie remained with the army until its tri- 
umphant entry into the Mexican capital, the following September, when ho 
was appointed Brevet M ijor and Acting Major of his brigade for gallantry 
at Molino del Hey, where he was severely wounded. In 18.")1 he was 
promoted to fu.il rank of Major in the first brigade. It was while holding 
this rank, and in command of the garrison at Fort Moultrie, that 
on the 20tli of December, 1860, the State of South Carolina seceded, and 
declared itself out of the L^nion. The event was celebrated throughout the 
Southern cities, and the plague of disloyalty overspread the entire South. 
Finding himself shut up in an nntcnabie fort, with less than one hundred 
men, liis own Government fearing to send him reinforcements, and being 
menaced on every side, cut off from supplies, with the deep murmurs of war 
growing louder and more threatening. General Anderson determined to 
evacuate Fort Moultrie. Accordingly, he destroyed all that was of use to 
the fort, and removed his men to Fort Sumter, the strongest of the Charles- 
ton fortifications. 

The rage of the South at this strategic movement was intense, and only 
equaled by the thi-ill of joy which ran through the North. Before the burst 
of indignation had subsided. Fort Moultrie was taken possession of by the 
South Carolinians, and put in a state of defense. Strong redoubts were 
thrown up on Morris and James Islands, Fort Johnson, and Castle Pinckney 
were also occupied, and Sumter Avas invested. No ships could approach 
it in the teeth of these sullen batteries. On the 8th of April, the United 
States Government informed the insurgents that they wished to send sup- 
plies to Fort Sumter on an unarmed transport, but were denied the permis- 
sion. The Government then officially informed them that supplies would 
be sent to Major Anderson, peaceably, if possible, otherwise by force. 
On the 11th of April, General Beauregard, who had command of the Rebels, 
demanded of General Anderson the surrender of Fort Sumter, which, 
being refused. General Beauregard opened fire upon the fort at 4:30, A. M., 
and on the l4th, the fort, having caught fire, and, being o\it of provisions, 
General Anderson sui'rendered. With their tattered flag flying, these seventy 
men marched out of Fort Sumter, the band playing- national airs. 

General Anderson was made a Brigadier-General, and sent to Kentucky 
to take command in that State ; but his health unfitted him for the duties, 
and he retired from the army. He has since resided in the city of New 

York. 



152. JOHN POPE. 

General JoiiN PoPE was born in Kentucky, March 16, 1823, and, dui'ing 
his infancy, his father removed with him to Kaskaskia, 111. After receiving 
a careful preliminary education, he was admitted, in 1838, a cadet in the 
Vitst Point Military Academy, Avhere he graduated in 1842, standing high 
in }iis class. In July of the eame year he was commissioned Brevet Second 
Lieutenant in the corps of Topographical Engineers. 

Upon the breaking out of the war with Mexico, he was attached to the 
army under General Taylor, and, " for gallant and meritorious conduct" at 
the battle of Monterey, was breveted a First Lieutenant, his commission 
bearing date September S3, 1840. For " highly gallant and meritorious 
conduct" on the liard-fought field of Buena Vista, he was breveted a Cap- 
tain, his commission being dated February 23, 1847. 

In 1840 he conducted Iho Minnesota Exploring Expedition, which demon- 
strated the practicability of navigating the Red Kiver of the North with 
steamers, after which he acted as Topographical Engineer in New Mexico 
until 1853, when he was assigned to the command of one of the expeditions 
to survey the route of the Pacific Railroad. From 1854 to 1859 he was 
engaged in this work, during which time (July 1, 1856) he was promoted to 
a Captaincy in the corps of Topographical Engineers. 

On the 17th day of May, 1861, he was commissioned a Brigadier-General 
of Volunteers in the Union army, and assigned to a command in Northern 
Missoxiri. 

In December he served in Central Missoiiri, under General Ilalleck, and, 
on the 17th of that month, he scattered the Rebel camp at Shawnee Mound. 

On the 18th he surprised another camp, near Milford, and took some 
thirteen liundred prisoners. This campaign cleared this district of the 
Rebels. 

On the 14th of March, 1862, he captured New Madrid, and, on the 7th 
of April, the Rebel garrison of Island No. 10, amounting to nearly seven 
thousand men — for which services he was made a Major-General. He was 
next commander of a corps of the army to co-operate with Halleck in the 
reduction of Corinth. 

In June, 1862, he was assigned to the command of the Army of Virginia, 
over Fremont, Banks, and McDowell, and, on July 14, was commissioned 
a Brigadier-General in the Regular Army. 

At the conclusion of the Second Bull Run campaign, September 3, 1862, 
he was relieved at his own request, and assigned to tlie Department of the 
KorthAvest, from whence, in the spring of 1865, he was transferred to that of 
Missouri. In March. 1867, was assigned to the command of the Third Military 
District, under the Reconstruction Acts ; and relieved by President Johnson in 
J'.inuary of 1868. He was then assigned to the command of the Department of 
ilie Lukes; and in April of 1870, lie was reassigned to the command of the De- 
p:utnic'ut of the Missouri, where he now is. 



153. PHILIP H. SHEEIDAN. 

General Philip II. Siiektdan, the " Hero of the Shenandoah,''' Tyas born 
in Perry County, Ohio, in 1831, and graduated at VV'e.'-t Point in 185o. He 
saw considerable service in the West, and, alter the outbreak of tlie Rebel- 
lion, was commissioned a Captain in the United States Infantry. For nearly 
a year he acted as Chief Quartermaster in the trans-Mississippi Department, 
and in May, 18G2, was appointed C'olunel of the Second Michigan Cavalry. 

In June ho was put in command of a cavalry bviyade, and for a brilliant 
victory over the Rebel General Chalmers, at Booneville, Mississippi, July 1, 
he was promoted, on General Grant's recommendation, to be a Brig'adicr- 
General of Volunteers. During the invasion of Kentucky by Bragg, in 
1802, he was assigned to the command of a division in Buell's army, and 
subsequently fought at Perryville and Murfreesboro', earning, by his valor 
in the latter engagement, his promotion to Major-General of Volunteers. 

He participated i-n the campaign against Chattanooga, and again distin- 
guished himself at Chickamauga and the succeeding battle on Missionary 
Ridge, 

In the spring of 18G4 he was summoned Eastward to assume command 
of the cavalry of the Potomac, in which capacity he led several daring 
expeditions against the enemy's communicati<ms. 

In August he took charge of the military division of the Shenandoah, 
gained the brilliant victories of September 10 and 21, over Early, when 
he sent him " whirling through "Winchester," and, on the 19th of October, 
won the hard-fought battle of Cedar Creek, changing, by his opportune 
arrival, a Union defeat into a signal victory. Having driven Early up the 
valley to Browne's Gap, Sheridan returned to Cedar Creek, where he 
encamped in a position which was thought to be impregnable. On the 
morning of the 19th, before daylight. Early, having been reinforced, and, 
taking advantage of the absence of Sheridan, who had gone to Washington, 
made an attack upon the Union army, which he took by surprise during a 
thick fog, 

Sheridan had reached Winchester — " twenty miles away " — the night 
before, and started for his command at eight o'clock that morning. He soon 
heard the rumbling of cannon, and putting spurs to his famous charger, 
arrived just as the army was in full retreat. Dashing up to the front, his 
charger reeking with foam, he ordered liis men to halt. His voice and 
presence infused new courage and confidence into the disheartened troops, 
and they soon reformed. The cavalry dashed forward on the charge, followed 
by the infantry, and, after a desperate fight, turned the tide of battle, and 
completely routed the enemy. 

In March, 1865, he moved his cavalry to the James River, and in the 
flanking movement, by which General Lee was driven out of Petersburg 
and eventually captured, Sheridan held the chief command, defeating the 
Rebels, with severe loss, at the battle of Five Forks. 

At the close of the war he went to New Orleans as commander of the 
Military Division of the Gulf, and was promoted to Major-General of the 
Regular Army. 

His faithful performance of duty in carrying out the Reconstruction 
laws of Congress made him obnoxious to President Johnson, who removed 
him from that Department, against the protest of General Grant, and trans- 
ferred him to the Western frontier, where he is now engaged against the 
hostile Indians. 



*f T 



154. DANIEL E. SICKLES. 

General Daniel E. Sickles was born in New York City, October 20, 
1823. He acquired the printers' trade, -which he followed for some years, 
when he studied law, and was admitted to the b:ir in 1843. 

He commenced his political career in 1847, when he was elected to the 
Assembly of New York, and, in 185G, to the State Senate. Por a short time, 
when Mr. Buchanan was American Minister to England, Mr. Sickles was 
the Secretary of that Legation. 

In 1857 he was elected a Representative from New York to the Thirty- 
Fifth Congress, and was a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, 
He was re-elected to the Thirty-Sixth Congress. His first term in Congress 
was made painfully memorable by his shooting of Philip Barton Key, in 
Febru .ry, 1859, an occurrence which grew out of a sad domestic difficulty. 
His trial lasted twenty days, and he was acquitted. 

Upon the breaking out of the Rebellion, in 1861, Mr. Sickles raised a 
brigade of live thousand men, and was appointed Brigadier-General of Vol- 
unteers, his commission bearing date, September 3, 1861. During Ihc winter 
of that year and 1862, he operated in Lower Mai'yland, his brigade forming 
the second in Hooker's division. Crossing into Virginia in April, 1862, they 
gained eminent distinction for their bravery at the battle of Williamsbui-g, 
May 5 ; were again distinguished at Fair Oaks, June 1 ; and won new 
laurels in the Seven Days' light. Sent with the Army of the Potomac to 
the relief of General Pope, at the end of August, the Sickles Brigade con- 
tinued in active service throughout the Maryland campaign, and distin- 
guished itself at the battle of Antietam, September 17, 1862. 

Succeeding General Hooker in the command of the Second Division of 
the Third Army Corps, General Sickles participated in the battle of Fred- 
ericksburg, December 13, 1862. 

Upon the reorganization of the Army of the Potomac, February 5, 1863, 
he was placed in temporary command ; and, on March 7, was appointed 
Major-General, dating from November 29, 1862. He took command of the 
Third Army Corps, and was especially distinguished for his valor at the 
battle of Chancellorsville, May 1 to 3, 1863, where he gained the reputation 
of being instrumental in saving the whole army from destruction. At the 
battle of Gettysburg, where he lost a leg, he gained additional distinction, 
and is hailed by many as the " hero" of that conflict. 

General Sickles continued to serve, establishing a reputation for distin- 
guished valor and skill, until early in 1865, when he was sent by President 
Lincoln on a confidential mission to Bogota, and other South American 
capitals ; and for the success of these negotiations, he received an autograph 
letter of thanks from the President. 

Receiving the appointment of Minister to Holland in 1866, he declined 
it, preferring to proceed with the work of Reconstruction in the Carolinas. 
He was relieved of his command by President Johnson, on account of a dif- 
ference of views en Reconstruction, and General Schofield appointed in his 
place. 

^ In 18C3 he entered heartily into the canvass in support of the Congres- 
eional policy of reconstruction, and for the election of Grant and Colfax, and 
was afterwards appointed Minister to Spain. 



155. SIMON CAMEEON. 

Simon Cameron was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, in 1799. 
Left an orphan Avhen only nine years of age, Tie was employed in a printing 
office, and learned the trade of printer. Laboring' in this vocation in Harris- 
burg, Pa., and Washington, D. C, he devoted his leisure time to study. 
"Working his way up by energy, talent, and industry, in 1820 he became 
editor of a newspaper at Doylestown, Pa. 

In 1821 he removed to Ilarrisburg, and there established a journal, in 
which he espoused the cause of General Jackson for the Presidency, and 
advocated the principles of the Democratic party generally. Prospering 
rapidly in his personal and political enterprises, in 18U2, his financial suc- 
cesses found him at the head of the Middletown Bank, of Pennsylvania. 

Devoting himself at this time more especially to the i*ailroad interests of 
his native State, he became the President of two railroad companies, the 
Cashier of a bank, and filled the office of Adjutant-General of the State, 
an office the duties of which were not then very burdensome. 

On the inauguration of President Polk in 1845, Mr. Buchanan resigning 
his seat in the United States Senate to accept the office of Secretary of State, 
General Cameron was elected to fill the vacancy. 

He voted in the Senate, in 1840, in favor of \he notice to England to ter- 
minate the joint occupancy of Oregon; against settling the Oregon contro- 
versy by ceding to England the region between lat. 54'"'-40 and 49*^ N. ; and 
advoted the war with Mexico on the ground that war existed Avith that 
power by the act of Mexico itself. 

His term expiring in the Senate, March 4, 1849, he returned for a time 
to private life. Kepudiating violent partisan feelings, and numbering his 
friends among the Whig, the Democratic, and the American parties, after 
the Act to repeal the Missouri Compromise in 1854, and the attempt to estab- 
lish slavery in Kansas against the wishes of the majority, he identified 
himself with the " People's Party" in Pennsylvania; and, in 185G, voted for 
General Fremont for the Presidency. His party, defeated in the State, did 
not defeat General Cameron for i-e-election to the L'nited States Senate, 
through the support of the Kepublican, the American, and a portion of the 
Democratic party. L^niformly acting during this term of service with the 
Republican party, he was regarded as a prominent candidate of that party 
for the Presidency at the next election; and was proposed at the Repub- 
lican National Convention held at Chicago, May 10 and 17, 1800, as a can- 
didate for the Presidency. 

Mr. Lincoln becoming President, he selected General Cameron for Sec- 
retary of War. On taking charge of that department, he found the arsenals 
depleted, and the facilities of the Government armories vastl}' insufficient 
to supply the army then waiting to be sent forward to the field. Reliable 
foreign guns could be obtained only in limited quantities. Secretary Cam- 
eron, with admirable forethought, sought to establish private manufactories 
for the Springfield rifle — a gun superior to any in use — and to facilitate 
which, he gave out favorable contracts to individuals, which, if they had after- 
ward been strictly adhered to by the War Department, Avould have given to 
the Government thousands of reliable guns much sooner and cheaper than 
poorer ones that were afterward received. Resigning this post, January 
14, 1802, he was ax^pointed Envoy Extraordinary to Russia, and returned in 
November of the same year. He was afterward elected to the United 
States Senate, which position he now holds. 



ri^ 



156. MARCUS L. WARD. 

MARcrs L. Warp was born in the year 1812, and is of Puritan extraction. 
He was a member of tlie Chicago Convention of 18G0, and of the Baltimore Con- 
vention of 1804. In 18C)0, he was a presidential elector on the Republican ticket 
in New Jersev. He was for several years Chairman of the National Execuiive Com- 
miitee of the Republic:in Party; and in 1865, was elected Governor of New 
Jersey, retiring fiom office with the respect and esteem of both parties. 

An' activelind zealous parlizan, he maintained with cliaracteristic zeal 
his political views, and against the tide of disloyal opposition, as he re- 
garded it, lie struggled with the Republican party to bring back the ancient 
iState of New Jersey to its fealty to the Union. "Out of the United 
States," as New Jersey was very often humorously regarded by many. 
Governor Ward thought she was literally about to be classed with the se- 
ceding States, that is, if the Democrats could possibly tficct that end. 
Regarded always as a stronghold of the Democratic partj^ — a political for- 
tification between the States of New York and Pennsylvania — that paity 
could not yield it without a desperate struggle, and the Ward pnrly could 
not secure it Avithout an equal effort; and after a second attempt, Mr. Ward 
brought the State triumphantly into the Union, being elected its Governor 
for three 3'ears. 

What is said of the slowness of the movements of large bodies, applies 
relatively to the actions of small States. The great seal of the Stale of 
New Jersey is a matter of the national legislative history; and the Dorr 
rebellion of Rhode Island will live in history as the prototype of the Great 
Rebellion. 

Governor Ward is a man of wide and tender sympathies, and is intenselv pa- 
triotic. His devotion to the soldiers and their families, as well as his unfaltering 
support of the Government, won for him, during the late civil war, the well-merit- 
ed title of the Soldikr's Friend. He it was that took the initiation in calling the 
first meeting held in New Jersey, (April IH, 1861,) in support of the national au- 
thorities. On April 17, in the satne year, he established a private Bureau of Sol. 
diers' Relief, employing therein a corps of clerks at his own expense, and under 
his personal suf)ervision. He introduced the system by which soldiers were able, 
thiough the State banks, to forward the'v pay promptly to those dependent upon 
them at home. 

lie was among those who established the New Jersey Branch of the United 
States Sanitary Commission. He was made Treasurer of this branch ; and while 
in this office, he advanced, from his own resources, tens of thousands of dollars 
for the relief of soldiers' families. He gave his entire time to the vvork at home 
and ill the army. During four years, not less than seventy thousand letters were 
niaileil from his bureau, and at least one hundred thousand persons visited his 
offi(.-e in the interest of soldiers and sailors. 

He procured the establishment and advanced the monev to fit up the great 
" Ward " United States General Hospital in Newark, and obtained the establish- 
mei.t of a Governmental Soldiers' and Sailors' Home in the same city. Never, 
dunng his entire career, did he receive from any quarter a single cent for costs 
uicurred or services rendered. 



157. DAVID C. BEODERICK. 

David C. Buodekick was born in the District of Columbia, in Decem- 
ber, 1818. 

When a boy of five years of ag-e, his father removed to Ne\v York City; 
and, in process of time, David was apprenticed to the trade of stone-cutter, 
which was hi.s father's occupation. The son, like many New York boys, 
became a fireman, and was for many years Foreman of an Eng-ine Company, 
and an active politician. 

In 18-19, Broderick, following the excitement of the day, went to Cali- 
fornia, and engaged in the business of smelting and assaying gold, fie was 
a Member of the Convention which drafted the Constitution of that State, 
served two years in the California Senate, and was President of that body 
in 1851. 

In 1856 he was elected a Senator to the Congress of the United States, 
for the long term. 

He died in San Francisco, September IG, 1859, from a wound received 
in a duel with David S. Terry, Chief-Justice of the Supreme Court of that 
State, on the 13th of the same month. 

He was the first member of the United States Senate ever killed in a 
duel, and it produced a great sensation all over the countrj', as it was 
thought that his political opponents had arranged the duel, in order to put 
hi:a out of the way, on account of his political proclivities — he being op- 
posed to the extension of Slavery, and was using his influence against tho 
Southern wing of the Democracy. He, also, advocated tho claims of Stephen 
A. Douglas as a candidate for the Presidency. 

The duel grew o\it of language used by Broderick, in the political can- 
vass for the State, that year. Broderick and the notorious Dr. Gwin were 
both in the habit of using the most vituperative language in their public 
declamations; and when they disagreed, the rhetoric of their diatribes is 
described as something stronger than even stump-oratory acknowledges in 
its ethics. 

Gwin, wlio appears to have been a cautious sort of warrior, subsided, 
while tho pi'ominent figure of one D. W. Perley appears, charging Mr. 
Broderick with having insulted him, by using offensive language in regard 
to his friend. Judge Terry, an individual who had previously made himself 
obnoxious to the wcU-i'emombered Vigilance Committee of San Francisco. 
Perley challenged Broderick, who refused to fight him ; but when, after tho 
election, Judge Terry came forward, and demanded satisfaction, he accepted 
the challenge, and the result was that Broderick was killed by the first fire. 

The funeral oration was delivered by Colonel E. D. Baker, afterward the 
hero of Ball's Bluff. Father Gallagher, the priest who ofiiciated, passed a 
high eulogium on his personal character, but condemned the duel. 



V ^ 



158. ISAAC TOUCEY. 

Isaac Toucey was born in Connecticut in 1798. Like many of our 
eminent i)ublic men, he received the benefits onl}^ of a common-school edu- 
cation ; but, by force of character and rare natural abilities, he rose to the 
highest positions in the land. The profession, which is the leading- one to 
public distinction in this country — that of the law — Mr. Toucey adopted for 
liis career ; and, at an early age, he was apx^ointed States Attorney for his 
native county. 

He was elected a Representative to Congress in 1835, and re-elected in 
1837. Ketiring to private life in 1839, he returned to the practice of his 
profession, and became distinguished. 

His prominence and ability as a lawyer recommending him to President 
Polk as a member of his Cabinet, he accepted the position of Attorney- 
General in 1848, and continued in that office during- the remainder of 
Polk's administration. 

In 18o0 he was elected to the State Senate of Connecticut ; and to the 
United States Senate, in 1852, which position he filled with marked ability 
until 1857, when he resigned to accept the appointment of Secretary of the 
Navy, tendered him by President Buchanan. This office he held to the 
close of Mr. Buchanan's administration. 

Senator in the United States Congress, Attorney-Greneral of the United 
States, and Secretary of the Navy, Mr. Toucey filled all these distinguished 
national positions Avith marked ability, besides holding, with honor, various 
offices of distinction in his native State. Terminating- his official career 
with the close of President Buchanan's administration, he retired to pri- 
vate life. 

Whoever saw this venerable statesman during the period he held the 
office of Secretary of the Navy, could not fail to have been impressed with 
his dignified and courtly demeanor and his urbanity of manner. Added to 
these external accomplishments, he has shown great ability throughout a 
most active and successful political and professional career. Associated, as 
Mr. Toucey was, in the Cabinet of Mr. Buchanan, with Cobb, Floyd, and 
Thompson, who were conspicuous in their endeavors to place the United 
States Gcn'crnment in such a position as to render it powerless to prevent 
the withdrawal of the Slave States from the Union and oblige it to acknowl- 
edge their independence, it is not strange that the people of the North 
should look upon the fact that tlie navy was scattered to distant waters on 
the breaking out of the Rebellion, as an evidence of his sympathy with 
secession; and it will be difficult to remove that impression from their 
minds, notwithstanding liis distinguished ability as a statesman and the 
high positions he has held. 



159. GEOBGE EVANS. 

G-E0R6E Evans, one of tho profoundest statesmen Maine has ever pro- 
duced, -was born in that State, January 12, 17*J7. After a thorouoh 
academical preparation, he entered Bowdoin College, and graduated, with 
distinction, in 1815. 

On leaving College, he at once commenced the study of law ; and, after 
a most thorough apprenticeship, ho removed to Gardiner, Maine, and opened 
an office He soon rose to eminence, and enjoyed a widely-extended prac- 
tice. 

He had already begun to'be talked of as a suitable person to be clothed 
with "legal ermine," when it was discovered that he was peculiurly fitted 
for tho business of legislation, and he was elected to the State Legislature 
in 1825, and was re-elected for four successive years. In his fourth year, he 
was chosen Speaker of the House, in which position his rare abilities were 
exhibited to advantage, and he commanded the entire approbation of both 
sides of the House. 

In 1S29 he was elected a Representative to the United States Congress, 
where he at once assumed a high rank as a statesman, and entered upon tho 
business in hand with an aptitude that indicated a large experience in 
legishition. 

His maiden speech made a decided impression in his favor ; and from 
that time to the close of his long and arduous service in that House, he 
never receded a step in the estimation of his colleagues. Alter serving his 
constituents faithfully and acceptably in the lower House for twelve years, 
Mr. Evans was transferred to the United States Senate. 

His complete knowledge of financial matters led him to be placed at the 
head of the Finance Committee during the protracted debate wliich arose 
on the adjustment of the Tariff question. Mr. Clay, who had been offered 
the position, declined, saying : " Mr. Evans knows more about tho Tariff 
question than any other public man in the United States ;" and a leading 
political journal of that day declared that " there probably was no man 
living better acquainted with the financial affairs of this country than Mr. 
Evans." 

On the occasion of his retirement from the Senate, Mr. Webster took 
occasion to speak of him in the most flattering terms: "And now, Mr. 
President," said Mr. Webster, " since the honorable member has reminded 
us that the period of his service within these walls is about to expire, I take 
this occasion, even in the Senate, and in his own presence, to say, that his 
retirement will be a serious loss to this Government and this country." 

Mr. Evans occupied an enviable position before the American people, 
not only as a statesman, but as a patron of education and literature ; and 
liis fame will go down to posterity as a profound legislator, a critical 
scholar, and a public benefactor. 



160. JOHN SLIDELL. 

Jonx Sltdell \ras born in the city of New York in 1793. His father 
vras a highly respectable gentleman, and largely engaged in the manufacture 
of soap {Old candles ; was also prominent as President of the Mechanics' 
IBank, and as a Commissioner for the Public Improvement of the City. The 
son received the best education afforded at the time, and became a promi- 
nent 3'oung Lawyer. 

He sought in'New Orleans a more congenial field of ambition, where ho 
speedily rose to eminence. President Jackson appointed him United States 
District-Attorney, and Mr. Slidell took the initiative in urging the remis- 
sion of the fine on General Jackson for alleged violations of law during the 
defense of New Oi'leans. 

After frequent service in the Legislature, he was sent to Congress in 
1843, when Mr. Polk selected him as Minister to Mexico. This mission being 
unsiiccessful, he returned, and the Mexican War followed. 

In 1853 he was elected to the United States Senate to fill the unexpired 
term of Mr. Soule, and was re-elected for six years. He was Chairman of 
the Committee on the Condition of the Banks and a member of the Com- 
mittees on Naval Affairs and Foreign Relations. He was distinguished for 
his zeal in promoting the interests of Louisiana, particularly in the growth 
of her great staple, the sugar-cane, and in providing military defenses and 
improving the navigation of the Mississippi. 

In 1854 Mr. Slidell made efforts adverse to relaxing our laws for the sup- 
pression of the slave trade; but, on the Kansas question, he avowed the 
most decided opposition to the interference of Congress with slavery ; and, 
in 1859, introduced the famous bill for the acquisition of Cuba by purchase. 

On the commencement of the Rebellion ho resigned his position in the 
Senate, and joined the Southern Confederacy ; was sent to France to nego- 
tiate for the recognition of its independence ; and, with James M. Mason, 
was taken from the British mail-steamer Trent by the United States man- 
of-war San Jacinto, Commodore Wilkes, and imprisoned in Fort Warren, 
\mtil released by the United States Government, when he proceeded to 
France, and took tip his residence in Paris. 

On the 8th of November, 1801, the San Jacinto descried the Tr^wi when in 
the narrow passage of the Old Bahama channel. A shot from the pivot-gun 
was fired across her bow. She hoisted English colors, and soon after, a shell 
brought her to. A boat was sent alongside the steamer ; Messrs. Slidell and 
Mason were requested to come on board the San Jacinto, but declined. 
Another boat was sent from the San Jacinto ; and, after " a gentle applica- 
tion of force," the commissioners and two friends in their company were 
taken, and placed on board tlie United States vessel. 

A most intense excitement was aroused in England xipon the arrival of 
the news. Preparations for war were commenced. Tro'ops wore sent to 
Canada, and a formal demand of surrender, and an apology for the act, made. 
A vote of thanks to Captain Wilkes passed the House^of Representatives 
subsequently; but thj authorities at Washington sent instructions to 
deliver them up to the representatives of the British Government. They 
were quietly placed on board a small steamer, and taken to an English 
Ktramer, which conveyed them to St. Thomas, where they took passage for 
Lngland, and landed without any special official attention. 

Many Americans considered it an act discreditable to our national spirit 
to relinquish these emissaries of treason, but the cii'cujnstances deraaudcd 
the course taken^ 



131. CHAELES SUMNER 

Cn \RLES SuMNEK "was born in Boston, Massachusetts, January G, 1811. 

At ten years of age he was phiced in the Public Latin School of Boston, 
and during- the five years that he remained there, gave abundant evidence 
of industry and ability. 

Passionately fond of history, he devoted much of his leisure time to its 
reading-. 

At the age of fifteen he entered Harvard College, graduated in 1830, 
and entered the Law School at Cambridge in 1831, where he acquired a 
profound knowledge of judicial science, and neglected no opportunity to 
trace the principles of law to their sources. While still a student, ho con- 
tributed articles to the American Jurint, which attracted attention b}' 
their marked ability and leai-ning. In 1834 he was admitted to the bar, at 
Worcester, and commenced practice in Boston, where he soon gained an 
extensive business. He was appointed Ilejiorter to the Circuit Court, and 
published three volumes, known as " Sumner's Reports." During Judge 
Story's absence in Vrashington, Mr. Sumner filled his place for three winters 
at the Cambridge Law School. At this time, ho was tendered a permanent pro- 
fessorship in the Law School, and also in the collej^^e ; but he declined them. In 
1837, he visited Europe, where lie remained until 1840, storing his mind with nse- 
fal information in law, literature, and art, which has since made itself manifest on 
many occasions. 

in 1844-46 he produced an edition of " Vesey's Reports," in twenty 
volumes, enriched with numerous notes and biographical illustrations of the 
text. In 1845, on the death of Judge Story, Mr. Sumner was offered the ap- 
pointment to the chair he occupied, but declined the honor. Hi? oration, 
delivered in Boston, July 4, 1845, on the "True Grandeur of Nations," 
elicited encomiums from noted men of this country and England ; and that 
delivered before the " Phi-Beta-Kappa Society,*' of Harvard University, in 
August, 1846, excited equal admiration. 

Previous to 1845, he had kept aloof from politics; but in that yerr he op- 
posed the annexation of Texas, and his speech on that subject in Faneuil 
Hall is one of the most brilliant and pointed he ever delivered. He worked 
with the Whigs until the organization of the Free Soil Party, to which he 
attached him.self, and, in 1851, was elected to the LTnitcd States Senate, 
as successor to Daniel Webster, which position he has ever since held. 
Plis first speech was directed against the Fugitive Slave Law, which he de- 
nounced as unconstitutional, tyrannical, and cruel ; on which occasion ho 
laid down the well-known formula, that " Freedom is National, and Slavery 
Sectional," and ou the formation of the Republican party in 1856, ho became 
identified Avith it. On the 19th and 20th of May, 1S5(), Mr. Sumner delivered 
in the Senate his celebrated speech, called " The Crime against Kansas," 
which being unanswerable by argument, Preston S. Brooks, attempted to 
silence him by force ; and, entering the Senate chamber, struck him over the 
head with a heavy cane, which so disabled him that he was prevented fi'om 
taking any part in public alfairs for over three years. 

In the winter of 1859 he again entered the Senate in comparative vigor; 
and his first speech, on his return, was entitled, "The Barbarism of Slavery," 
which was a clear and eloquent exposition of its demoralizing influence. 
At the commencement of the war, he maintained a stern opposition to all 
compromises wnth slavery as a meannof restoring the seceding States to the 
Union ; and was in favor, from the first, of making Emancipation an element 
in the contest, as the speediest, if not the only method of bringing the war 
to a close. Since the surrender of Lee, ho has endeavored, by the most co- 
i'ont arguments, to impress upon tho Senate and Uio country tho necessity of 
r 'constructing tho Stated, North and South, on a National and ItnpariicU 
b.i'oly. 



^ J- 



162. MATHEW F. MAUEY. 

Mathew F. Mauky, Astronomer and Ilydrographer, was born in Spot- 
sylvania County, Virjifinia, January 14, 1806. 

His parents removed to Tennest^ee whenhe -was but three or four years oi 
ace. Possessed of moderate circumstances, and being' in a newly-settled 
country with a family of nine children, they could afford to each one the 
means for only a limited education. In 1825 Mathew obtained a Mid* 
shipman's appointment in the navy, and was ordered Co the Bi-andijiDint^ 
then fitting- out in AVashington to convey Genei't.l Lafayette to France. 
Ileturning- in that vessel to the United States in the spring- of 1820, he 
again sailed in her to the Pacific. There he joined the Vinceimes (sloop), 
and, having circumnavigated the globe, returned in her to his native land, 
after an absence of about four years. 

After passing his examination, he was again ordered to the Pacific 
Station, as Master of the Falmouth. 

lie commenced his work on " Navigation" in the steerage of the Vinceri' 
nes, and completed it in the frigate Potomac, to which he was ordered as 
Acting Lieutenant, when the Falmouth was about to return to the United 
States. Fx-om the time of his first entering the navy up to this period, he 
had been a close student Proceeding upon the principle of making every- 
thing bend to his profession, he made himself m-ister of the Spanish 
language by studying a course of mathematics and navigation in that 
tongue. On his return to the United States, lie' was regularly promoted to 
a Lieutenancy, and received the appointment of Astronomer to the South 
Sea Exploring Expedition, under Commander Thom;*6 Ap Catesby Jones. 
Soon alter that officer gave up the command of this exfflsdition. Lieutenant 
Maury retired from it also, and was afterward put in charge of the Depot 
of Charts and Instruments, which has served as a nucleus for the National 
Observatory and Hydrographical Office of the United States ; of both of 
which he had charge until 18G1. 

Ilis labors in organizing the Observatory, and placing it at once upon 
the most respectable footing, as well as his investigations wdth regard to the 
winds and currents of the sea, are familiar to all. In 1851 Mr. Maury pub- 
lished *' Letters on the Amazon and Atlantic Slopes of South America," and 
the " Relation Between Magnetism and the Circulation of the Atmosphere ;" 
in 1S53, "Astronomical Observations;" and, in 1854, " Letters Concerning' 
Lanes for Steamers Crossing the Atlantic Ocean." 

Ill ISGI, on^llie secession of Virginia from the Union, Mr. Maury joined 
the Souiliern Confederacy, and gave all liis scientific experience and efforts 
for the overthrow of that Government under whose auspices bo had beeu 
enabled to obtain his education. 



163. EGBERT TOOMBS. 

Robert Toombs -w^as born in Washington, Wilkes County, Georgia, 
July 2, 1810. The first three years of his collegiate life were spent at Ihe 
University of Georgia, but he kft it at the close of the Litter year, went to 
Schenectady, N. Y., and graduated at Union College in 1828. 

He read law at the University of Virginia, under Judge Lomas ; was 
admitted to the bar of Georgia, in 1830, and practiced regularly until his 
election to Congress, in 1845. 

His first public service was as Captain of Volunteers in the Creek War, 
under General Winfield Scott. In 1837 he was elected to the Legislature 
of Georgia from his native county, where he now resides; and, with the 
exception of 1841, continued a Member of the lower branch, until his elec- 
tion to the Federal House of Representatives, where he served for eight 
years with marked ability. 

He entered the United States Senate in 1853, during the Thirty-Third 
Congress, for six years, and was re-elected, in 1859, for a second term, end- 
ing March 4, 1805. In the House, and also in the Senate, he always served 
upon important committees. 

In 1856 he delivered his celebrated lecture in Tremont Temple, Boston, 
Mass., in " Vindication of Slavery ; its Constitutional Status ; the Duties of 
the Federal Government in Relation to it ; and the Influence of Slavery, as it 
Existed in the United States, upon the Slave and Society;" in which he 
findeavored to show that Congress had no poAver to limit, restrain, or in any 
manner impair, slavery ; but, on the contrary, was bound to protect and 
maintain it wherever its flag floated, or its jurisdiction extended — a doctrine 
which, a few years later, was engrafted into the platform of the Southern 
wing of the Democratic party, and on which they lost the election of their 
candidate for the Presidency, in 18G0, The failure of that was the imme- 
diate cause of the secession ot a number of the Slave States. On the 
withdrawal of Georgia from the Union, Mr. Toombs resigned his seat in 
the Senate, January 2o, 18G1, and became Secretary of State of the Confed- 
erate Government, February 21, of the same year. 

In the following July, he resigned, and was soon after commissioned a 
Brigadier-General in the Rebel army, in which capacity he never rose above 
mediocrity. 

Since the surrender of Lee, and the passage of the Reconstruction Acts 
of Congress, he has been using his utmost endeavors to induce the people 
of Georgia not to accept the terms on which they are allowed to resume their 
former position in the Union. 



'f 



164 HENEY WILSON. 



Henry "Wilson- was born at Farmington, New Hampshire, February- 
IB, 1812. At ten years of age he was apprenticed to a fanner till he was 
twenty-one. Here'he Irid the usual lot of a farm-boy, receiving but a few 
weeks' schooling in winter; but, during that time, he read over one thou- 
sand vol umes of liistory, biography, and general literature, borrowed from 
school-libraries and individuals. 

At tlie ago of twenty-one he went to Natick, Mass., to learn the trade of 
shoemaking ; and, after working two years, had saved money enough to 
attend the academy at Concord, N. H. ; but the person with whom he 
had deposited his money, failed, and Wilson Avas obliged to return to 
Natick, and resume shoemaking. Undiscourag*^d, he resolved to still 
pursue his object, uniting it with his daily toil. He then formed a debating 
society among the mechanics of the place, where he investigated subjects, 
read, wrote, and spoke on all the themes of the day. 

In 1840 he came forward as a public speaker in the Harrison campaign, 
and soon distinguished himself as the " Natick Shoemaker," making over 
sixty speeches during the canvass. 

He was elected to the State Legislature that > ear, and served four years in the 
House and four in the Senate. While there, he made one of the most elaborate 
spceche? against the extension of slavery ever made, and went to Washington with 
the remonstrance of Massachusetts against the admission of Texas as a Slave 
State. 

In 1843, on the rejection of the anti-slavery resolution by the AVhig 
Convention, ho left that organization, and took an important part in origi- 
nating and building up the Free Soil party, for which services he was nomi- 
nated by them in 1852, as their candidate for Congress, but was defeated. 

In 18.')3 he was sent to the Constitutional Convention, and was the Free 
Soil candidate for Governor, but was again defeated. In 1855 he was 
elected United States Senator, in place of Edward Everett, and was re- 
elected in 1851) and 18G5, in which position he has greatly distinguished 
himself. 

From 1842 to 1351, he was actively engaged in the Militia of Massa- 
chusetts, as an offijer. In 1861 he raised the Twenty-Second Regiment 
of Volunteers in that State, and was made its Colonel. After joiiiing 
the Army of the Potomac, he was made a member of General McClellan's 
Staff, on Avhich he served until after the meeting of Congress. 

During the war he was appointed Chairman of the Military Committee 
of the JSenate, which had to pass upon thousands of appointments, and 
devise important measures of legislation ; and, for the manner in which the 
duties of the position were performed, Mr. Wilson received the highest 
commendations from General Scott. Even the salvation of Washington in 
the early days of the war was partially attributed to his energy. 

Mr. Wilson's career since the war has been marked by the same practical 
usefulness which has distinguished him throughout life. Ho has written a 
history of the Anti-Slavery measures and the Keconstruction measures of Con- 
firer-s, giving a brief and impartial narrative of the legislation since the close of 
the war. He is now writing a "History of the Slave Power," in three volumes. Mr. 
Wilson 13 one whose character and position is the result of the developments of 
so.-ial Utc, m the education and elevation of the laboring class. Born in an 
humble station, ho has, by his own exertions ;md the equality inculcated by 
o'.ir in-;t:tut.oiis, risen to one of the higheat position:> of the land. 



165. ItOBEBT E. LEE. 

General Robert E. Lee, son of Harry Lee, of Revolutionary fame, was 
born at the family seat of Strafford, Virginia, in ISUO. 

He received a liberal education, -was admitted to the military academy 
at West Point in 1825, and, on the 30th of June, 1829, graduated second 
in his class. He entered the Engineer Corps as Second Lieutenant, in July 
of that year ; -was promoted to First Lieutenancy, September 21 183(j ; and 
to Captaincy, July 7, 18o8. He served in the Mexican War as Chief- Engi- 
neer in General Wtjol's command, and Avas breveted Major, Lieutenant- 
Colonel, and Colonel, for gallant conduct at Cerro Gordo, Contreras, Churu- 
busco, and Chapultepec. 

In July, 1848, he was appointed a member of the Board of Engineers at 
West Point, and, September 1, 1852, was made Superintendent of the mili- 
tary academy, which position he held until March 8, 1855, when he received 
his full commission of Lieutenant-Colonel of the Second Cavalry, 

In 1850 ne commanded the company of marines that captured John 
Brown at Harper's Ferry, and, on the IGth of March, 18G1, Avas promoted 
to the Colonelcy of the First Cavalry. 

On the 20th of April, 18G1, he resigned his commiSvsion in the United 
States army, and was appointed Major-Gcneral by the State of Virginia, 
and afterward General in the Confederate army. In Aug.ust, 1801, he was 
assigned to a command in West Virginia. His first engagement was at 
Cheat Mountain, where he was defeated by General Reynolds. He then 
proceeded to the Kanawha region for the purpose of relieving Floyd and 
Wise. In December he was transferred to the defenses of South Carolina 
and. Georgia. 

When General J. E. Johnston was wounded at the battle of Seven Pines, 
June 1, 18G2, General Lee succeeded to the command of the Rebel army in 
Virginia, and, after being reinforced by General "Stonewall" Jackson's 
corps, took the offensive. The initial movement to the seven days' battles 
were planned by him, and the battle of Malvern Hill was fought under his 
personal direction. "When he was satisfied that General McCiellan's army 
had been witlidrawn from the Peninsula, he transferred the main body of the 
Rebel ai'my to act against Pope, which resulted in the battles of Manassas, 
August 29, 18G2, and that of Chantilly, which was fought while the National 
forces vv'ere in retreat for the defenses of Washington. 

General Lee then prepared for the invasion of Mary hind, which resulted 
in his defeat at Antietam. He was afterward engaged in the battles of 
Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, in which he defeated or repulsed tho 
Union forces. In June, 18G3, ho made a second invasion of the North, when, 
after destroying much public property, and obtaining immense stores of goods, 
he concentrated his forces at Gettysburg, and fought the bloody battle at 
that place, which ended in his defeat, July 3, 18G3, Thus both his invasions 
of the North proved failures. In both cases, however, he extricated himself 
from these critical situations with extraordinary skill and dexterity. 

In 1804, when General Grant took command of the Army of the Potomac, 
Lee concentrated his forces around Richmond, and, acting on tiie defensive, 
contested every inch of ground as ho retreated toward that city, until ho 
was at last forced to surrender at Appomattox Court-Houso to General 
Grant, April 9, 18G5. General Lee was appointed General-in-Chief of tho 
Rebel forces, January 31, 18G5, and attained a military repiitation second to 
none in tho Southern army. On tho close of the war he was elected to tho 
position of President of Washington College, Lexington, Va., where ho 
resided until his death, which occurred October 12, ISYO. 



166. HORACE GREELEY. 

Horace Greeley, Editor and Founder of the New York Tribune, was 
born in Amherst, New Hampshire, February 3, 1811. Until the age of 
fifteen, he worked upon a farm, having- no other opportunity of acquiring 
an education than such as the district schools of his neighborhood afforded. 
Ho early manifested a fondness for reading, es[iecially newspapers, which he 
would devour with the greatest relish, and which decided him to become a 
Printer, whenever the time should arrive to choose an occupation for him- 
self, lie also, at a very early age, exhibited a remarkably retentive mem- 
ory, and correctness in spelling, which especially adapted him to the 
business he has since followed. 

"When about twelve years old, his father having removed to Vermont, 
Horace endeavored to find employment in a printing office in Whitehall, 
but without success. Nothing daunted by the first rebuff, "for he was 
made of sterner stuff than to bend before the first puff of ill-success," he 
applied at the office of the Northern Spectator, Poultney, Vt,, where his 
services were accepted, and where he i*eraained till 1830, when the paper 
was discontinued, and he returned to work upon his father's farm. Here he 
continued for a year, when he started, on foot, with his baggage slung across 
his shoulder, to seek his fortune in the great city of New Yoi'k, where ho 
arrived on the 31st of August, 1831. After persevering efforts, he obtained 
work as a Journeyman Printer, and was employed in vai'ious offices, at 
occasional intervals, for eighteen months. 

In 1834, in connection with Jonas Winchester, he started The JYew Yorker, 
a weekly journal, and became its Editor. After struggling on for several 
years, with poor success, it was finally abandoned. During its existence, 
Mr. Greeley published the following campaign papers : lite Constitution, 2 he 
Jeffersonian, and the Log Cabin. 

In 18-11 he commenced the publication of the New York Tribune, with 
which he is still connected, and of which he is now the principal Editor. In 
1848 Mr. Greeley was chosen to fill a vacancy in the United States Congx-ess, 
and served through the short term preceding General Taylor's inauguiation, 
with manifest ability. 

In 1851 he visited Europe, and rendered valuable service to the Ameri- 
can exhibiters at tlio World's Fair, in England. He again visited Europe 
in 18oo ; and, in 1859, took a tinp across the plains and mountains to Cali- 
fornia. He gave an account of each in letters to the Tribune, which have 
einco been published in volumes. He has also published a collection of his 
addresses, essays, &c., under the title of "Hints toward Reforms." 

During and since the Rebellion, Mr. Greeley has published a history of 
that struggle, in a book, entitled "The American Conflict," which has had 
a very extensive sale. Ho has also published his autobiographv, entitled 
" Recollections of a Busy Life." 

Mr. Greeley's fame as a Journalist and Lecturer, are world-wide. 
Wherever the Tribune is read (and where is it not r), there the name 
«'t jlorace Greeley is familiar. During his whole life, his pen and his efforts 
have been in constant service for the weak, against the strong. He early 
espoused the cause of the slave; and, at a period in the history of the 
shivery question, when to speak out boldly against that institution was to 
risk one s life, there was no temporizing policy in Mr. Greelev's course. He 
wields a fearless, vigorous, and ever-ready pen, in favor of all reforms- 
political social, and financial— and exhibits a clear understanding of aU 
tnoso subjects. ° 



167. JEPFERSON DAVIS. 

Jefferson Davis was born in Christian County, Kentucky" June" 3, 
1808. Shortly after his birth, his father removed with his family to Wil- 
kinson County, Miss. lie received a good academical education, and en- 
tered Transylvania University, Lexington, Ky., in 1S22, which he left in 
1824, to enter the Military Academy at West Point, from which he gradu- 
ated in 1828. He was appointed Second Lieutenant of Infantry, and 
served on the Northwestern frontier during the Black Hawk War of 
18;il-'32. 

In 1831 he was appointed First Lieutenant of Dragoons, and was cm- 
ployed in operations against the Pav/neos, Camanches, and other Indian 
tribes. In June, 1835, he resigned his commission, and retired to a cotton 
plantation in Mississippi. 

He continued in retirement until 1843, when he began to take an interest 
in politics upon the Democratic side ; and, in 1844, was chosen a Presiden- 
tial Elector. 

In 1845 he was elected a Representative to Congi-ess ; but resigned in 
1846, having been elected Colonel ot the First Mississippi Volunteer Kcgimont, 
and served in tlie Mexican War. He distinsuislied himself at Monterey and 
Buena Vista, and was severely wounded in the latter battle. 

He was appointed Brigadier-General of V^olunteers by President Polk,"" 
in 1847, but he declined the commission on the ground that, by the Consti- 
tution, the Militia appointments were i*eserved to the States, and that such 
appointments by the President were in violation of State Rights. He was 
chosen, the same year, to fill a vacancy in the United States Senate, andi 
was re-elepted, in 1850, for a full term. 

In 1853 he was appointed Secretary of War by President Pierce,' and,' in 
1857, was again elected to the United States Senate, when he took a prom- 
inent position among the Southern leaders, and was among the keenest and 
most sagacious of tliem all in his assertion of the rights of the States under the 
Constitution, and of the right of set^s<ion. On the 21st of January, 1861, he took 
his leave of the Senate in a speecli, in which he gave his ouinion that, by the se- 
cession of his State, his connection with tli;»t body was terminated, and reaffirmed 
the doctrine of the right of secession, which he liad long niainta ned. The Confe- 
derate Congress, at Montgomery, Alabama, chose him President, under the Pro- 
visional Constitution, on the 9th of February, 1861, and he accepted the office on 
the 16th in i brief address, in which he expressed his desire for the maintenance 
of peaceful relations with the States which remained in the Union. He asserted 
that all that the seceding States desired was to be " let alone," but announced 
that, if war should be forced upon them, the' would make the enemies of the 
South " smell Southern powder and feel Southern steel." 

On the 17th of April, two days after the first proclamation of President 
Lincoln, he responded by a proclamation authorizing privateering ; and, on 
the 14th of August, issued a proclamation warning all persons of fourteen 
years and upward, owing allcgience to the United States, to leave the Con- 
federacy within forty days, or be treated as alien enemies. On the 6th of 
November he was chosen" permanent President, and was inaugurated Feb- 
ruary 22, 1862. On the 21st of May, tie approved an ac' providing that all 
persons owing debts to parties in the North, should pay the same into the 
Confederate Treasury. 

Mr. Davis continued President of the Southern Confederacy,- until his 
capture at Irwinsville, Ga., May 10, 1865, having left Richmond a few hours before 
General Lee withdrew his troops. He was conveyed to Fortress Monroe, and 
indicted by the Grand Jury of the District of Columbia for treason. He was never 
brought to trial ; but, after two years' imprisonment, was released on bad, Horace 
Greeley magnanimously becoming one of his sureties. 



1C8. riEREE SOULE. 

Pierre SouLEwas born at Castillon about 1802, in the Pyrenees, during 
the first consulate of Napoleon. His father liad risen to the rank of Lieu- 
tenant-Gcneral in the Rejjublican armies, but afterward returned to his 
native mountains and exercised the office of Judge, which was hereditary 
in his family. Pierre was destined for the church ; and, in 1816, was sent to 
the Jesuits' College at Toulouse, where his abilities were soon remarked and 
appreciated. Young Soule, however, became dissatisfied with his situation, 
and left the college. He was afterward sent to complete his studies at Bor- 
deaux. 

At fifteen he took part in the conspiracy against the Bourbons, and the 
plot having been discovered, he was obliged to take refuge in a little vil- 
lage of Navarre, where he remained for more than a year, following the 
occupation of a shepherd. Pie was permitted to return to Bordeaux ; but he 
longed for a more exciting scene of action, and, accordingly, repaired to 
Paris. Here, in conjunction with Bartholemy and Mery, he established a 
paper, advocating liberal republican sentiments. This, of course, soon 
brought him under the eye of the authorities, and he was put upon his trial. 
His advocate on that occasion was a friend named Ledi'u, who appealed to 
the clemency of the court in behalf of the prisoner on the score of his youth. 
This line of defense did not suit the prisoner, who rose from his seat, and 
addressed the court in an impassioned strain, denying the criminally of his 
opinions, and defending the rectitude of his conduct. His eloquence did 
not save him from St. Pelagie, whence he succeeded, with the aid of Bar- 
tholemy, in making his escape to England, and then to Ciiili. 

Disappointed in liis expectations of obtaining a situation in Chili, which 
liad been pi'omiscd him, and finding himself alone in a strange country, 
wholly ignorant of the language, he returned to France. 

At Havre he met a friend, a Captain in the French navy, who advised 
him to seek an asylum in the United States, and offered him a passage in 
his ship as far as St. Domingo. Soule accepted the proposition, and arrived 
at Port-au-Prince in September, 1825. From this place he took passage to 
Baltimore, and finally removed to New Orleans a few months later. 

Having determined to make the law his profession, he applied himself 
assiduously to the study of English, and passed his examination for the 
bar in that language, and was admitted, when he soon rose to distinction by 
his talents and eloquence. 

In 1847 Mr. Soule was elected a Senator in Congress from Louisiana to 
fill a vacancy, and was re-elected in 1849 for a term of six years. He took 
an active part in the stormy session that followed ; and, after the death of 
Mr. Calhoun, was regarded for some years as the leader of the ultra-Southern 
party. In the Senate he preserved his reputation as a speaker, and his 
oratory is said to be rendered only the more pleasing by a slight French 
accent. 

In 1853 ho was appointed, by President Pierce, Minister to Spain. In 
18G2 ho was arrested in New Orleans for disloyalty to the Government ; and, 
atttr an imprisonment of some months in Fort Lafayette, he was released 
on condition that ho would not return to Louisiana until the end of the 
Rebellion. 



r 



1G9. BENJAMIN F.'WADE 

xBEyjAMm F. Wade/ the distinguished United States Senator from 
Ohio, was born i:i Springfield, Massachusetts, Octobei'27, 1800. His father, 
a Revolutionary soldier, was too poor to afford the son the advantages of more 
than the ordinary education obtained in the common schools. In his youth 
the future statesman labored as a Farmer or Husbandman, but, by diligent 
application had acquired sufficient knowledge to become a Teacher during 
the winter. 

In 1826 we find him engaged in the study of the law in Ohio, Com- 
mencing the practice in Ashtabula County a few years after, in 1835 he 
was chosen as Prosecuting Attorney of that county, and, in 1837, was elected 
to the State Senate, anil was re-elected in 1841. In 1847, he was elected by the 
Legislature presiding Judge of the Third Judicial District of the State, and, in 
1851, a United States Senator, to which body he was again returned in 1857 and 

1863 ^ _ _ , , . 

In the Senate Mr. "Wade has been prominent as a leader of the anti- 
slavery party, and continued unrelenting in his hostility during the most 
rampant period of the pro-slavery ascendancy. He opposed Mr. Douglas'3 
bill to abrogate the Missouri Compromise, the Lecompton Constitution in 
1858, SlidcU's bill for the acquisition of Cuba, and was against all compromise 
^with the South after 18G0. He advocated the Homestead bill, the Agricul- 
tural College and the Pacific Railroad bills, and every measure for the pro- 
tection of American industry. 

On the opening of the Thirty-Seventh Congress, Mr. "Wade became 
Chairman of the Committee on the Conduct of the War, and took an active 
part in urging the enactment of a law to confiscate the property of leading 
Rebels and to emancipate their slaves. 

Ultra democratic in his views, and radically Republican in his princi- 
ples, Mr. Wade has consistently carried out his policy with an independence 
characteristic of his origin, education, and early associations and impres- 
sions. He has been an opponent of West Point, because he thinks it fosters 
an aristocratic and exclusive class, and because it numbered among many of 
its graduates prominent military leaders of the Rebel army. He has also 
opposed the increase of the standing array. The bill making Treasury 
Notes a legal tender he advocated and voted for, and for the bill abolishing 
slavery in the District of Columbia. 

In 18G2, as Chairman of the Territorial Committee, he reported a bill 
abolishing slavery in all the Territories of the Government, and anticipated 
the future policy of the G-overnment growing out of a successful termina- 
tion of the war by prohibiting it in any that may hereafter be acquired. 
Mr. Wade, as President of the Senate, attracted renewed attention 
throughout the country as the likely successor to the Presidency in the 
event of the impeachment of President Johnson. He is distinguished as 
presiding officer of the Senate by a certain degree of brusqueness, but at the 
same time possesses a knowledge of parliamentary law which his long 
experience in that body has enabled him to acquire. 

A long debate ensued at the beginning of the impeachment trial as to 
the propriety, considering his contingent relations to the Presidency, of his 
sitting in judgment upon the arraigned President. The suspicion of his 
interested motives in influencing his sense of public duty was repudiated 
by the Hon. Reverdy Johnson in a very eloquent tribute to the public and 
private honor and integrity of Mr. Wade. 



170. JOHN C. BEECKENEIDGE. 

Jonx C. Breckenrtdge was born near Lexington, Kentucky, January ; 
IG, 1^21. He was educated at Centre College, Kentucky; spent a few 
months at Princeton, N.J. ; studied law at Transylvania Institute, and w&S 
admitted to the bar at Lexington. He emigrated to Burlington, Iowa, 
Avhere he remained for a time, but returned to Lexington, "wliere he prac- 
ticed his protession witli success. 

He served as a Major of Infantry during the Mexican War ; and, -while 
in that country, distinguished himself as Counsel for General Pillow, during 
the famous court-martial. 

On his return from Mexico, he was elected to the State Legislature, and 
afterward Representative in Congress from the Ashland District, from 1851 
to 1855. During his administration. President Pierce tendered to him the 
mission to Spain, but family affairs compelled him to decline the honor. 

He was elected Vice-President of the LTnited States, in 185(), on the ticket 
with James Buchanan, and entered upon the duties of his office in March, 
1857, as President of the United States Senate. In 1801 he succeeded Mr. 
Crittenden as United States Senator from Kentucky, having been defeated 
as candidate for President on the nomination of the Southern Democracy, in 
18G0. 

In the summer of ISGl, as the war of the Rebellion progressed, and 
the debates in the Senate grew warmer, Mr. Breckenridge became more 
demonstrative, charging the Government with the intent to make it a " war 
of extermination," and, in October, joined the Confederate army, when 
the United States Senate expelled him from that body, by a unanimous 
vote. We next find him as a Confederate General at the battles of Mur- 
frcesboro'. Baton Rouge, and Chickamauga; defeating Sigel in the AVest ; 
joining Lee's army, at Cold Harbor ; commanding under Early in the 
attack on Wasliington, and in the Shenandoah valley, in 1864 ; defeating 
Gillem in East Tennessee; and joining the councils of the Confederate 
Government at Richmond, early in 1865, as Secretary of War, which posi- 
tion he held until the war was brought to a close. He then fled to Eng- 
land, and has since resided there and'in Canada. 

Mr. Breckenridge Wds a great favorite with the Democratic party, and 
evinced the same deep-seated tenacity for " State Rights," which formed 
p:irt of the nature of men accustomed to the state of society prevailing in 
the sluveholding sections of the country. His early rise to positions of im- 
portance, evince the force of his talents ; and the continuance of his progress 
attest liis superior abilities. His conduct in public life showed a character, 
lu many respects, suited to such a sphere. 

As a military man, he filled the station of commander with more credit 
than many civilians, on either side, during the conflict. 



171. BENJAMIN F. BUTLER. 

Benjamin F. Butler was bom in Deerfield, New Hampshire, Novem- 
ber 5, lb 18. He passed liis boyhood in Lowell, where he attended the 
High School, preparatory to becoming' a student at Exeter Academy. He 
graduated with honor at Waterville College, Me., in 1638, studied law, and 
was admitted to the Lar in 1841. 

Mr. Butler at once plunged into law and politics, pursuing both with 
equal ardor, and displaying the adroitness and energy which have always 
characterized him. He espoused the most desperate causes, and became, in 
court, the leader of " forlorn hopes." His singular feriility in expedients, 
and success in defending rather awkward suits, soon won. for him the repu- 
tation of being the ablest criminal lawyer in the State. In 1853 he was 
elected to the State legislature, and, in 1808, to ihe Senate. 

In 18G0 wc find him jilaying a prominent Tole as Delegate to the Demo- 
cratic Convention at Charleston and Baltimore. During all these years, he 
h^d been taking lessons in the " School of the Soldier ;" and, in 1857, was 
apjiointed Brigadier-General in the State Militia. In the month of April, 
18()1, he responded to the call of President Lincoln for volunteers to defend 
the Union against the Rebels, and, with a single n^gimeut, marched into 
Maryland, made a descent upon Annapolis (then the enemy's country), which 
he held until the Department of Annapolis was created, when he was in- 
stalled commander, with rank of Major-General. 

Soon after, he look command at Fortress Monroe. While occupying 
this post, the disastrous battles of Little and Big Bethel occurred. 
Here, also, he originated and applied the term " Contraband of war" to the 
captured slave, which settled the vexed question of the status of the slave* 
of Rebels. ^ 

On the 20th of February, 1862, General Butler left Boston for Ship 
Island, in Mississippi Sound, where he arrived March 23, with a force of 
fifteen thousand men, to attack New Orleans. After the surrender of Fori) 
Jackson and St. Phillips to Admiral Farragut, he went up the Mississippi 
with a portion of his command, and entered the city of New Orleans 
with two thousand five hundred men on the evening of May 1, 18G2. 

He found the city much demoralized, but shaped order out of chaos ; and 
he saved the city, not only from its own suicidal madness, but from that ma- 
lignant epidemic, which had annually visited it. The yellow-fever raged 
at Havana, Nassau, and other unhealthy ports ; but New Orleans escaped 
untouched; and the hopes of those who wished it to lay the invading Yan- 
kees at the mercy of their enemies, were frustrated. General Butler's 
course in New Orleans Avas, f-om the first, necessarily a stringent one. He 
arrested several British subjects, for affording aid to the Rebels ; seized a 
large amount of specie belonging to the enemy in the ofiice of the Consul 
for the Netherlands ; distributed among the suffering poor the provisions 
intended for the Southern army ; laid a tax on Rebel sympathizers ; and' 
issued that celebrated and characteristic proclamcition respecting active 
female tr.dtors who insulted his soldiers, which extirpated at once a most 
annoying nuisance. It was a fortunate day for New Orleans when "Butler 
came to town." He was superseded by General Banks in November, 1862. 
In the latter part of 1SG3 he was assigned to the Department of Virginia 
and North Carolina; and, in 18G4, participated in o;^orations before Peters- 
burg and Richmond, as commander of the xVrmy of tiie James. 

In the spring of 1865, he resigned his commissi m, and was elected to 
Congress, where he particularly distinguished himself in the impeachment 
trial of President Johnson, in the spring of 1868 ; and in November was 
again elected to Congress. 



172. SALMON P. CHASE. 

Salmox p. Chase, Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, 
vras born in Cornish, Xew Hampshire, January 13, 1808. At twelve 3'ears 
of aijc he was sent to AVorthington, Ohio, to be educated, under the care 
of liis uncle, Pliilander Chase, wlio was then Bishop of that State. He 
entered Cincinnati College, but at the end of a year he returned to New 
Ilampshire and entered the junior class at Dartmouth College, in 1824, 
and graduated in 1C26. 

Provided with a few letters of introduction, with no other means but 
his education, he made his way to Washington, D. C, wdiere, after leach- 
ing a bo3's' school for three years, during which he studied law, he was 
admitted" to the bar of the District of Columbia in 1829. In the spring of 
1830 he removed to Cincinnati, where his practice as a lawyer soon be- 
came extensive and valuable. Almost at the outset of his professional 
career, he entered upon a course of constant and earnest anti-slavery 
action, which has made his name widely known. 

In 1834 he became counsellor of the United States Bank at Cincinnati. 
In 1837 he defended a woman claimed as a fugitive slave, and James G. 
l5arney for harboring a fugitive slave. From 1838 to 184G he was asso- 
ciated with AVm. H. Seward as defendants' counsel, in the famous Van 
Zanelt case. These and other cases, gave Mr. Chase a national reputation, 
both as a lawyer and an anti-slavery ^nan. 

In 1841 he united in organizing a Liberty party ; in 1843 was a member 
of the National Liberty Convention, which was held at Cincinnati; and 
was a delegate to the Free-Soil Convention, held at Butfalo in 1848. 

In politics, Mr. Chase sympathized with the Democrats, but voted for 
General Harrison in 1840. 

His formal entrance into political life was in 1849, when he was elected 
United States Senator from Ohio. In the Senate he continued his hos- 
tility to slavery, and formally withdrew from the Democratic party in 
1852. He joined the Republican party in 1854, was elected Governor of 
Ohio in 1855, and re-elected in 1857. 

He was again chosen United States Senator in 1860 ; but on the day he 
took his seal— March 5, 1861— he was appointed by Mr. Lincoln Secretary 
of the Treasury. He found the national treasury exhausted and the credit 
of the United States Government paralyzed. 

Tlie task imposed on him was gigantic, and foilure in it would have 
ruined the country at the outset. But his well-known linancial ability 
enabled him to obtain a temporary loan of the banks, when he immediately 
set to work lo negotiate the national bonds authorized by Congress, and 
establish a greenback and national banking svstem, which has given us a 
uniform currency throughout the Union. His success in changing the 
various State banks into national banks, without any perceptible incon- 
venience, will distinguish him as one of the greatest financial minds in the 
country. 

He resi.gncd, as Secretary of the Trensury, in June, 1864, and was ap- 
??nV^" ,V^"^'^-'^"^^^<^G of ^lie United States Supreme Court, December 6, 
18G4, which office he now holds. 



173. JAMES M. MASON. 

James Murray Mason, formerly United States Senator from Virginia, 
Hnd more recently a Commissioner from the States in rebellion to England, 
v/as born in Fairfax County, Virginia, on December 8, 1798. (One of his 
ancestors was George Mason, a famous Parliamentarian of the reign of 
Charles I, and a strong supporter of the Koyal cause. Subsequently joining 
the Cavaliers, under Charles II, he fought against Cromwell ; but when 
Charles was defeated, near Worcester, in 1G51, Mason emigrated to 
America, and settled in Virginia.) 

Educated in Virginia and the District of Columbia, Mr. Mason graduated 
in 1813, in the University at Philadelphia, and subsequently studied law 
at William and Mary College, Williamsburg, Va., completing his studies 
in the office of the celebrated Benjamin Watkins Leigh, of Richmond. 

Commencing practice in 1830, he was, six years thereafter, elected to the 
Virginia House of Delegates, and re-elected for two subsequent terms. He 
was chosen a member of the Convention to revise the State Constitution, in 
1829, and was elected to Congress in 1837. 

Returned to the United States Senate in 1846, he continued to occupy 
his seat for fourteen years. A strong pro-slavery Democrat, he vehemently 
opposed the Kansas-Nebraska bill, and all other anti-slavery measures. The 
author of the Fugitive Slave law, his arguments in support of it constitute 
much of the bitter and vindictive sectional feelings and eloquence of the 
debates in the Senate of that day. 

Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs for ten years, his position 
made him eminently conversant with that branch of the Government, and 
qualified him for the subsequent position he held as Commissioner of the 
Rebel States. 

In 1850 he took an active part in the discussion which led to the admis- 
sion of California, as a Free State, in the Union. 

Still holding his position at the head of the Committee on Foreign Rela- 
tions, in the Senate, he left his seat in 18G1, to take sides with the Rebellion, 
his term not expiring until March 4, 1803. Chosen as Commissioner to 
England, in conjunction with Slidell, he set sail from Charleston, S. C, on 
October 12, 1801. Ari'iving at Havana, Cuba, October 24, they were for- 
mally received by the Captain-General. Remaining for a few days, they 
took passage on board of the British mail-steamer Ireiit, for Europe. On 
November 8, they were captured by Admiral Wilkes, in the Bahama Chan- 
nels, and brought to the United States, and subsequently confined in Fort 
Warren. Surrendered on January 2, 1802, to the British authorities, Mr. 
Mason, with his colleague, sailed for England, where, during the civil con- 
flict, they urged the recognition of the Southern States, but without suc- 
cess. Mr. Mason has continued to reside abroad ever since the Rebellion. 
The controversy between the United States Government and Great Britain, 
growing out of their forcible seizure on the high seas, involved a great 
many questions of international law, conducted with more or less ability, 
and no little acrimony, by Lord John Russell and Mr. Seward, in support of 
their respective Governments. 

Mr. Mason was distinguished in the Senate as an austere man ; and 
though of acknowledged ability and character, he was not a man to win 
upon the affections of a stranger or his opponents, as are some of the pablic 
men who afford a fair representation of the Southern aristocracy. 



174. REVERDY JOHNSON. 

Reverdy Johnson was bom in Annapolis, Maryland, May 21, 1796. 
His paietits sent him to St. John'< College, where he obtained an excellent educa- 
tion. He left coUeire when about sixteen years of aire, and immediately com- 
hie-c^'d tlie study of law in the office of his father, Judge of the Court of Appeals 
of Maryland. Two years after, he was admitted to the bar, and commenced prac- 
tice under the most favorable auspices. 

He moved to Baltimore in 1817, where his legal residence has ever since 
been, and rose rapidly to prominence as one of the ablest legal minds of his 
State. 

In 1819 he was appointed States Attorney, and, in 1820, Chief Commis- 
sioner of Insolvent Debtors. This office he held for over a year, when he 
resigned to take a seat in the State Senate ; was elected for a second term, 
but, after retaining his seat one year, he resigned in consequence of his 
extensive professional duties. 

For nearly twenty years Mr. Johnson kept aloof from politics, devoting 
his time to the law, and winning a reputation for legal ability such as few 
men in this country have obtained. 

In 1815 he was elected United States Senator, but resigned in 1849 to 
accept the position of Attorney-General in President Taylor's Cabinet. On 
the death of General Taylor, and the accession of Mr. Fillmore to the 
Presidency, he resigned, and again resumed the pi;ictice (»f his profession, it being 
now almost wholly confined to the Supreme Court of the United States. 

In 18G1 he was a Delegate to the Peace Convention ; and, in 18C2, was 
again elcted to the Uiiited States Senate. 

Throughout the war ho sustained the Union cause and gave his hearty 
support to the suppression of the Rebellion. When the war had ceased, he 
urged the readmission of the South without delay, at the same time 
favoring such guarantees as would hereafter prevent the recurrence of the 
causes which had operated to keep the two sections of the country in con- 
tinual antagonism. Mr. Johnson voted for the first Reconstruction bill, and 
also voted in favor of its passage over the President's veto ; but when the 
second Reconstruction bill was introduced, he withdrew his support, and 
voted against it. 

Although connected with the Democratic party, he has frequently 
opposed its measures and policies. He was appointed Minister to England 
1 o 1 e?.o^*^^^ Johnson, and was unanimously confirmed by the Senate, June 

Mr. Johnson's legal ability, moderate party affinity, and purity of char- 
acter, combined with unusual suavity of manners and conversational 
powers made him an acceptable Minister to the English Government and an 
inT n l««o ^"^ States at the Court of St. James. He returned from England 

nromrrV t V""!! t'''-'"^ a^'"' ^"'^^^'''^ "^ ^^^ courts of Maryland and the Su- 
preme Court of the United States. 



y 



175. EDWAED BATES. 

Edward Bates was born at Belmont, Goochland County, Virginia, 
September 4, 1793. His education, commenced by liis father, was succeeded 
by several years of academic instruction, mostly at Charlotte Hall, Mary- 
land, and finished by an accomplished jurist tutor. Declining, in early 
youth, a naval career, afforded by the offer of a Midshipman's Avarrant. he 
afterward, in 1813, exhibited his patriotic ardor by serving as a volunteer 
in the Virginia militia, in the war against Great Britain. 

In 1814 he removed to Missouri, where, at that time, many of the enter- 
prising and ambitious young Virginians migrated, to seek their fortunes, 
and grow up with that then infant, but now powerful. State, He there con- 
tinued his study of the law ; and, in 1810, began to practice in St. Louis. 

Rising rapidly into practice, in the year 1818 he was appointed Prosecu- 
ting Attorney for that circuit. Advancing with the growing interests of the 
State, he was, in 1820, appointed a Delegate to the State Constitutional Con- 
vention. The satisfaction with which he discharged the duties of this im- 
portant trust recommended him, in the same year, to his constituents, as 
Attorney-General of the new State of Missouri. He resigned the office in 
1822, and was elected to the lower branch of the State Legislature. The 
confidence which he inspired in his previous public trusts, was abundantly 
secured in this, his first legislative position. Becoming now prominent as 
one of the rising young men of the rising young State, ho was selected, in 
1824, by President Monroe, L'nited States Attorney for the Missouri Dis- 
trict. He held this position until 1820, when he resigned, and was elected 
-Representative to Congress from Missouri, serving from 1827 to 1829 with 
distinction. 

In 1830 he was elected to the State Senate; and, in 1834, was again 
elected to the Lower House of the Legislature. In 1830, being enfeebled by 
sedentary labor, he moved to the countr}', where he continued in the active 
practice of his profession for seven years, and varied his professional occu- 
pation with horseback-riding around the prairies, and other vigorous exer- 
cise in the open air. 

In 1842 he returned to St. Louis, in invigorated health, and renewed in 
that city the practice of his profession. In 1850 he was appointed, by Presi- 
dent Filmore, Secretary of War, but declined the office. In 1853 he was 
elected Judge of the St. Louis Land Court, which office he resigned in 1850. 
His prominence as a Whig politician secured him, the same year, the posi- 
tion of President of the Whig National Convention, which assembled in 
Baltimore ; and his accomplishments and learning induced the Harvard Uni- 
versity, in 1858, to confer upon him the degree of LL. D. 

Again brought prominently before the public, he was appointed, in 1861, 
Attorney-General in Mr. Lincoln's Cabinet, which position he held until 
1865, when he resigned, having performed the duties of the office with 
marked ability and fidelity. Mr. Bates, on the 5th of July, 1801, rendered 
an elaborate opinion, justifying President Lincoln in arresting persons on 
suspicion of intercourse with the insurgents, and refusing to obey a writ of 
Habeas Corpus, sued out to ascertain whether the alleged suspicions were 
just, 



176. IIENEY WAED BEECHEE. 

Heney Y/ard Beecheu, son of the celebrated Rev. Lyman Beecher, 
•was born at Litchfield, Connecticut, June 24, 1813, His mother died when 
he -was three years old ; and his father, marrying again, removed to Boston, 
■where Henry was jDlaccd in the Latin School, aild pursued his studies with- 
out the inspiration of zeal. 

The sea became the object of his ambition. His fathei-, apparently 
acquiescing, suggested his preparing himself for the navy ; but, as ho went 
to school at Amherst, the Dr. said, "I shall have that boy in the ministry 
3'et." Hero he was placed under the caro of a bright, attractive young man, 
and labored perse veringly, with his face toward the navy. Here, also, he 
was put through a strict drill in elocution by Professor John E. Lowell. 
At the close of the year, a revival of religion occurred, and Henrj^, with 
others, was powerfully impressed. The naval scheme vanished, and the 
pulpit opened before him, as his natural sphere. 

He entered Amherst College, where ho surrounded himself with the best 
English writings, which he read and pondered with never-ceasing delight ; 
but was not attracted by Greek and Latin classics. 

The stand he took in college was, from the fii'st, that of a reformer. He 
and his associates opposed all the customary irregularities and dissipations 
of students. In no part of his life did he ever use tobacco, or ardent spirits, 
in any shape. He graduated in 18o4, and studied theology at Lane 
Seminary, in Cincinnati, of which his father was President, Previous to 
cempleting his studies, he edited, for some months, the organ of the New 
School Presbyterian Church, in the absence of Dr. Brainard. His editorials 
condemning the j^ro-slavery rioters who destroyed Dr. Burney's press at 
that time, were stamped with the most fearless spirit of reform. 

On finishing his studies, Mr, Beecher married, and was settled at Law- 
renceburg, Ind., but was soon after invited to Indianapolis, where he labored 
for eight years, perfoi'ming a great amount of professional laboi', and causing 
a remarkable revival. August 24, 1847, Mr. Beecher was called to take 
charge of Plymouth Church, Brooklyn, N, Y. On the 19th of September, he 
bade farewell to his "Western charge ; and, on assuming his duties at Ply- 
mouth Church, he informed " all whom it might concern," that he considered 
Temperance and Anti-Slavery a part of the Gospel, which he was deter- 
mined to preach. 

He took a deep interest in the settlement of Kansas by freemen; and, 
during the Rebellion, was unceasing in his labors for the Union cause. 
Plymouth Church raised a regiment, and Mr. Beecher's eldest son was an 
ofiicer in it. 

Mr, Beecher is the author of numerous volumes, replete with original 
and earnest thought, and deeply imbued with Christian faith, and sympathy 
with the beautiful in nature and art. His mind is a development charac- 
teristic of our nationality. It may be compared to a column, based with 
Eastern griinite ; a shaft of Western marble ; and a capital, crowned with the 
Howcrs and fruitage of cultured graces. 



177. CLEMENT L. VALLANDIGHAM. ' 

Clement L. Vallandigham was born in New Lisbon, Columbia County, 
Ohio, in 1822. lie descended from a Huguenot family, and received a good 
early education, spending one year at Jefferson College, Ohio. He afterward 
removed to Snow Hill, Maryland, where he spent two years as Principal of 
an academy. 

Returning to Ohio in 1840, he studied law, was admitted to the bar in 
1842, and entered upon its practice in New Lisl)on. He was elected to the State 
L(-gi3latnre in 1845. and re-elected in 1816. He removed to Dayton in 1847. 
From 1847 to 1849, he was editor of the Westtrn Empire ; and, for some years 
subsequent to that date, had devoted himself wholly to his profession and politics. 

He was a member of the National Democratic CoTivcntion held at Cin- 
cinnati in 185G, and ran for Representative to the Thirty^-Fifth Congress 
against L. C. Campbell, whose seat he successfully contested, and was 
re-elected in 1S59. 

At the commencement of the second session of the Thirty-Fifth Congress, 
and during the Thirty-Sixth, he was placed on the Committee on Territories. 

Elected to the Thirty-Seventh Congress in 18(51, he took an ultra-Southern 
view of politics ; during the most important session opposed the Republican 
party in all their plans for the suppression of the Rebellion, exercising his 
legislative abilities to thAvart the Government in carrying on the war, and 
addressing the people of Baltimore and other cities in favor of secession. 
Returning to Dayton, he was received with mingled feelings of coldness 
and confidence by his former constituents ; and, in the fall of 18G2, the 
electioi\ resulted in the defeat of Mr. Vallandigham. Having the remainder of 
his term to complete, he continued his opposition in Congress to the measures of 
the Government. 

Rejected for Congress, he continued his political activity in addressing 
the people throughout the State, indulging in expressions which were con- 
sidered disloyal ; and, for expressing his opinions against the war, he was 
arrested at Dayton, May 5, 1803, by military authority, and tried at Cincin- 
nati on the 6th and 7th of that month. He was sentenced to be confined in 
a military prison during the war, which sentence was changed by the Presi- 
dent to banishment to the Southern States. He was taken to Murfreesboro', 
where, on the 24th, he was sent over the Confederate lines. F'rom there he 
went, by way of Bermuda, to Canada. 

"While in Canada he was nominated by the Democratic x^arty of Ohio as 
their candidate for Governor, but was defeated. 

He subsequently returned, and was a Delegate to the Democratic Con- 
vention held at Chicairo in 1804. He vras also a Delegate to the Convention 
held at New York, July 4, 1808, which nominated Horatio Seymour and 
Frank P. Blair, Jr., as candidates for President and Vice-President of the 
United States. 



178. GEORGE BANCEOFT. 

Geokge Bancroft, a distinguished American Author and Historian, 
was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, in tlie year 1800. He graduated 
with lionor at Harvard College, before ho , .i.s seventeen years of age, and 
8ooa entered upon a course of literary pursviits, having, as their ultimate 
end, the professicn of an Historian. 

In 1818 he went to Europe, and there studied at Gottenburg and Berlin, 
enjoying the high advantages of the most thorough system of instruction. 

After an absence of four years, during which he traveled in England, 
Switzerland, Germany, and Italy, he returned to the United States, when lie 
Was appointed Tutor of Greek, in Harvard University. During the interval 
of severe labors, he made many contributions to American literature, 
especially from the stores of German thought and intellect, then compari- 
tively sealed, even to educated men in the United States. He early attached 
himself to the Democratic party, in whose behalf his first vote was cast. 

In 182G, in a public oration, afterward published, he announced as his 
creed, " Universal Suffrage and Uncompromising Democracy." 

In lSo4 Mr. Bancroft published his first volume of his " History of the 
United States," a work to which he had long devoted his thoughts and 
researches, and in which he laid the foundation of a reputation at once 
pei'manent and universal. 

The first two volumes, comprising the Colonial history of the country, 
were hailed with the highest satisfaction, as exhibiting, not only the facts, 
but the id<(fs of American history. 

In 18o8 he was appointed Collector of the Port of Boston, which he held 
until 1841. In 184^^ he was the candidate of the Democracy of Massachusetts 
for Governor. In 1845 he was appointed Secretary of the Navy, and, in 
1846, Minister Plenipotentiary to England, which position he held until 
1849. 

In England the jirestige of Mr. Bancroft's literary reputation and his 
high social qualities contributed to enhance the popularity and respect Avhich 
attached to him during his entire diplomatic career. 

On his return, he fixed his residence in New York City, and resumed 
more actively the prosecution of his historical labors, the fourth volume of 
which appeared early in 1852, portraying the opening scenes of the great 
drama of the American Independence. He has since issued a volume at 
intervals, until now he has nine volumes published. 

In 18G7 Mr. Bancroft was appointed Minister to Prussia, which position 
he now holds. 

The work of Mr. Bancroft may be considered as a copious philosophical 
treatise, tracing the growth of the idea of liberty in a country designed by 
Providence for its development, and is esteemed as one of the noblest 
memories of American literature. 

He has published various public addresses, and has coLected a volume of 
" Miscellanies," chiefly upon historical and philosophical topics. 



179. PETER COOPEE. 

Peter Cooper was born in tlie city of Xew York, February 12, 1791. 
His youth was employed in his father's hat manufactory. He attended 
school only one-half of each day for a single year, and, beyond the humble 
knowledge thus earned, his acquisitions are his own. 

At the age of seventeen ho was apprenticed to the trade of coach-making, 
which he followed for a siiort time after he had served out his apprentice- 
ship. He next manufactured machines for shearing cloth, which were in 
great demand during the War of 1812, but lost all value on the declaration 
of peace. He then manufactured cabinetware, afterward "went into the 
grocery business in New York City, and finally engaged in the manufac- 
ture of glue and isinglass, which he has carried on for more than, fifty 
years. 

Mr. Cooper's attention was early called to the great resources of the 
country for the manufacture of iron ; and, in ISoO, he erected extensivQ 
works at Canton, near Baltimoi'e. 

Disposing of them, he subseqixently erected a rolling-mill in the city 
of New Y'ork, in which he first applied anthracite coal to the puddling of 
iron. 

In 1845 he removed the macliinery to Trenton, N. J., where he erected 
the largest rolling-mill at that time in the United States for the manufac- 
ture of railroad iron, and at which he was the first to roll wrought-iron 
beams for fire-proof buildings. These works have grown to be very exten- 
sive, including mines, blast-furnaces, and water-power, and conducted by a 
company of which Mr. Cooper is President. 

AVhile in Baltimore, Mr. Cooper built, after his own designs, the first 
locomotive engine that was ever turned out on this continent, which w'as 
successfully opei'ated on the Baltimore and Ohio liailroad, thus identifying 
his name with the early liistorj'' of railroads. He has taken a great interest 
in the electric telegraph, in which he has invested a large capital. He is 
President and Director of various companies, and Pi-esident of the North 
American Telegraph Association, which represents two-thirds of all the 
lines in the United States. Mr. Cooper has served in both branches of the 
NeAV York Common Council. 

His great object in life has been to edvicate and elevate the industrial 
classes of the community, and he determined, more than forty years ago, if 
successful, to establish in his native city an institution in Avliich the work- 
ing classes could secure a scientific educaticm. Accordingly the " Union 
for the Advancement of Scienc3 and Art," commonly called the " Cooper 
Institute," has been erected at a cost of over six hundred thousand dollars, 
and devoted by a deed of trust, with all its rents, issues, and profits, to that 
purpose. It includes ti school of design for females, evening courses of 
instruction to mechanics and apprentices, a free reading-room, a gallery of 
art, a polytechnic school, and valuable collections of models of inventions. 

Mr. Cooper is still engaged iu active business. 



^9 



ISO. HEESCHEL Y. JOHNSON. 

IIkrsciiel V. JonxsON was born in Burke County, Georgia, September 
18, 1812, and graduated, at tlie University of Georgia in 1S34. lie adopted 
the j)rofession of the law ; and, while pursuing its practice, entered upon his 
political career, advancing rapidly to distinction. 

In 184-1 he was a Presidential Elector, and was appointed to fill a vacancy 
in the United States Senate in 1S48. From the Senate lie was elected, in 
1849, a Judge of the Superior Court. 

In 18G0, when the popularity of Stephen A. Douglas was at its highest 
point, Herschcl V. Johnson was selected as a candidate for the Vice-Presi- 
dency upon the Douglas tir-ket. Defeated by Lincoln and Harnlin, the tide 
of secession overran the Southern land, and Avith the political landmarks 
which liad defied the ultra-Southern sentiment in times gone by, were swept 
away, and Ilcrschel V. Johnson among the rest. 

Djuglas died at the beginning of the war, in the very prime of his life 
and in the zenith of an unprecedented popularity, Avith sentiments of loy- 
alty lapon his feverish lips; but Johnson, his fellow-candidate, went with 
his native South, though in principle a Union man. 

While the one terminated his career on the death-bed, the other con- 
tinued his by taking part in the stormy proceedings which inaugurated 
the Confederate States Government ; and, becoming a Member of the Con- 
federate States Senate, lie took an active part in its debates. 

The rapidity with Avhich men rise to public distinction in the United 
States, and then full into private life (though, in many instances, honorable 
obscurity), is illustrated in the case of Herschel V. Johnson. At one time 
the representative Union man of the South, he was the choice for the second 
office in the gift of the people on the Presidential ticket, with one of the 
most popular men of the United States — Stephen A. Douglas. 

Death and the a^-tivo vitiated public life, Avhich that political career 
impelled, laid his chief in the grave; but he who followed next upon the 
banner left the emblem of the Union to die with his chief, lured by ** strange 
stars," " writin;x Btranjje characters from right to left." 



181. OLIVER 0. HOWARD. 

General Oliveu O. IIov.'ARD was born in Leeds, Maine, November 8, 
1830. Pie graduated at Bowdoin CoUeg-e in 1850, and, four years later, at 
AYest Point, where he was appointed Instructor in Mathematics, in 1857 ; 
\n\t resigned his commission in 18G1, to take command of a regiment of 
Maine Volunteers. lie commanded a brigade at Bull Run ; and, for gallant 
conduct in that battle, was commissioned a Brigadier-General of Volunteers. 

He was at Williamsburn:, and lost an arm at Fair Oaks, June 1, 1862. Wlieu 
the attack wiis made on General Casey's troops, May 31, Howard's brijijade was 
brougiit up in haste, and came into p()sition just at niglit-fall. The next morning 
one of his regiments was placed in the front line, while tlie other three formed the 
second. Howard's and French's Brigade did much of the brave and steady work 
which repulsed and routed the two obstinate and furious attacks of the enemy. He 
was highly complimented by General Richardson, in his report, for the excellent 
disposition of his forces, the direction of his fire, and the moral eftect he produced 
upon his men, by his resolute demeanor in cheering and urging them on. 

In this days battle, General Howard received two bullet-wounds in his 
right arm, which had to be amputated. Scarcely waiting for his wound to 
heal, he rejoined the army, and commanded the Third Brigade of Sedg- 
wick's division, in Sumner's corps, at the battle of Antietam. 

On the 11th of December, 1802, ho led the advance of the Army of the 
Potomac over the Rappahannock, at the battle of Fredericksburg. 

Early in 18G3, he was assigned to the command of the Eleventh Corps. 
He was present at the battle of Chancellorsville and Gettysburg, in both of 
which he bore a conspicuous and noble part; and, in the autumn, accom- 
panied his corps to Chattanooga, participating in the victory of November 
25, in the front of that place. 

Soon afterward, he received command of the Fourth Corps, and made the 
campaign from Chattanooga to Atlanta. He succeeded General McPherson 
as command.?r of the Army of the Tennessee ; and, in the expedition from 
Atlanta to Savannah, he commanded the right wing of Sherman's armv. 

He also commanded a wing in the march northward from Savannah, 
which terniinated in the surrender of General Joseph E. Johnston, and ali 
the Rebel forces under his command. 

Since the conclusion of the war, he has held the office of Commissioner 
of the Freedmen's Bureau, which he has conducted with ability and discre- 
tion. Besides his professional abilities as a soldier, General Howard is a 
man of deep religious principles, and has been called the "Havelock of 
America." 



f-i^ 



182. GEOEGE WILKES. 

George "Wilkes was born in the city of Ne\v^ Yoi'k in 1823. Heceiving 
the benefit of a liberal education, he early identified himself with the press, 
and lias become celebrated as one of the first journalists of the country. 

Establisliingf, at a time when such a journal was much needed, TJie 
National Police Gazette, he made that paper a power in the land. Retiring- 
from this journal, he traveled extensively in Europe, and, returning, wrote 
" Europe in a Hurry." Subsequently associated with the late lamented 
William T. Porter, he established For^ters Spirit of the Times. Abandoning 
this venture, he established another journal, identifying with its character 
more of the personality of its Editor, called Winces' S])irit of the Times. Osten- 
sibly a sporting paper of the better class, it contains, from time to time, 
remarkable articles or essays upon public men and measures, written with all 
the masterly vigor and ability for which George Wilkes is distinguished. 

Were it not for the versatility of talent for which journalistic literature 
in America is distinguished, one would be surprised to find in a journal 
ostensibly devoted to horses, so much talk upon men. The theme, however, 
alternates between blooded horses and noted men, and Wilkes^ Spirit descants 
upon the merits of both with equal knowledge and spirit. 

Revisiting Europe, in 18G0, Mr. Wilkes wtis presented at the Court of St. 
James by Mr. Dallas, then our minister to England. 

Upon the breaking out of the War of the Kcbellion, Mr. Wilkes accom- 
panied McDowell's army into Virginia, and was present at the battle of 
Bull Run. Writing a description of this battle, it was extensively recopied 
throughout the country, and was remarkable for its graphic and picturesque 
power of descriptive writing. 

More comprehensive and generalizing in his political style of writing 
than descending to detail, Mr. Wilkes is more successful as a weekly jour- 
nalist, perhaps, than he would be as a daily journalist. This is no disparage- 
ment to him, or his mode of dealing with men and measures. The daily 
press exacts too much upon the brain of a writer to enable him always to do 
justice to his subject. 

George Wilkes, after years of unceasing labor and activity, has built up 
a powerful press, and caused himself to be respected as a powerful journalist. 
Having accumulated a handsome fortune, ho is enabled to extend his cnter- 
pri.ses with proportionate energy and success. 

A strong and warm personal friend of Genei'al Grant, he adrocated his 
claims to the Presidency with characteristic ability. 

Relieved again from arduous journalistic duties, Mr. Wilkes traveled for the 
fourth time in Europe in 1868. In 1870 he ran for Congress against James 
Brooks, under a united Ropublicau nomination, and was defeated. 



183. JAMES LOXGSTREET 

General James Longstheet was born in South Carolina m the year 
1821, and grnduated at West Point in lb42, as Brevet Second Lieutenant of 
the Fourth Regiment of Infantry. 

In March, 1845, he was transferred to the Eighth Regiment, and -was at 
the storming of Monterey, in Mexico. In February, 1847, he was promoted 
to the rank of First Lieutenant ; and, August 2U, -was breveted Captain, 
for gallant and meritorious conduct in the battles of Contreras and Churu- 
feusco, and Major, for gallantry in the battle of Molino del Roy, September 
8, 1847. In the assault at Chapultepec, September 13, he greatly distin- 
guished himself, and was severely wounded. 

In December, 1852, he became full Captain ; and, in July, 1858, was mado 
Paymaster, with the rank of Major. 

On the secession of South Carolina, he resigned , offered his services to 
the Rebels, received an appointment of Brigadier-General, and soon after 
participated in the battle of Bull Run, where his brigade covei'cd Black- 
burn's Ford. He was afterward made Major-Gencral, under Jo. Johnston, 
and remained with the army in its wintei'-quarters, skirmishing, until 
March, 18G2, when Manassas was evacuated. He then went to the Penin- 
sula, and from the evacuation of Yorktown to the battle of Malvern Hill, he 
was in almost every action, where he was conspicuous foi coolness, bravery, 
and skill. In the second Bull Run and in the invasion of Maryland, ter- 
minating with the battle of Antietam, he commanded a corps, and rendered 
valuable service. General Longstreet also took a prominent part in the battle 
of Fredericksburg ; and, in February, 1803, was sent to invest Suffolk, 
Va., from which place he was recalled, after a fruitless campaign, to rein- 
force General Lee at Chancellorsville. 

General Longstreet commanded one of the three corps of Lee's army, which 
invaded Maryland and Pennsylvania in the summer of 18G3 ; and at the 
battle of Gettysburg, in July, he was on the right of the Rebel army, and 
opposed to General Sickles. In Se})tcmber he was sent to reinforce Gen- 
eral Bragg, and greatly contributed to the Rebel victory at Chickamauga. 
After this he was detached to capture Knoxville, and drive Burnside out 
of East Tennessee, wnich he failed to accomplish. In January, 1864, lie again 
made a movement on Knoxville, and was enabled to advance within a few miles 
of the city ; but, after a short stay, was obliged to retreat to his old position at 
Bull's Gap for want of provisions and supplies. 

In April, 18G4, he united his troops with General Lee's, and took an 
active part in the battle of the Wilderness, where he was so severely 
w^oundcd. May G, as to bo incapacitated for service until the following 
Octob(;r. He held command of his corps during the winters of 18G4 and 
18G5, in the defense of Richmond, and was included in the capitulation of 
General Lee to General Grant, April 9, of the latter year. 

Since the close of the war he has devoted himself to the pursuits of civil 
life, and is using his influence to unite in friendship the two sections so 
lately opposed to each other in deadly conflict, by counselling his Southern 
brethern to accept the Congressional terms of Reconstruction. 



^ 



184. JOSEPH HOLT. 

Judge Advoo.\tk Gkneral ITolt, a native of Kentucky, was born in Brecken- 
ridgo C.'unty, in 1807. Educated at St, Joseph's College, Bardstown, and at 
Celitre College, Danville, iu 1828, he commenced the Practice of the Law in 
Elizabethtown, Kentucky. Eemoving to Louisville in l«3i,he was ap-- 
pointed Commonwealth's Attorney for the Jefferson Circuit which included 
in its jurisdiction Louisville, From Louisville he removed^ in l«:i5, to 
Port Gibson, Mississippi, and after practicing his profession successfully in that 
State, he returned to the former city. Appointed Commissioner of Patents, in 
the September following the accession of Mr. Buchanan to the Presidency, he suc- 
ceeded ill March, 1859, to the office of Postmaster-General on the death of the 
Hon. A, V, Brown, Upon the withdrawal of John B, Floyd from the Cabinet, in 
December, 1860, he was appointed Secretary of War, and is regarded as having 
been active in labori g to restore order and public confidence, which had been 
skaken by the defection of Floyd and other officials at this time. 

In co-operation with General ^cott, by the precautions which he exer- 
cised. Mr. Holt contributed largely to ch ck treasonable demonstrations in 
Washington during the Inauguration of President Lincoln. Ptetiring from 
office in the Spring of ISul, he was earnestly employed in advocating the 
Luion cause in Kentucky and elsewhere ; denouncing neutrality as a pol- 
icy, then advocated extensively in the border States, At this time, in a 
letter addressed to Mr. Speed, of Kentucky, he declared that the expendi- 
ture of not merely hundreds of millions, but billions of treasure would be 
well made, if the result should be tlie preservation of our republican institutions. 
Appointed one of a commission to examine and decide upon claims, involved in 
tlie administration of General Fremont's Department of the West, after the re- 
moval of that officer from his command, he continued in that capacity until March, 
1862. In September of the same year, he was appointed Judge Advocate General 
of the Army, and in that capacity was engaged iii many celet)r.ited trials growing 
out of tlie war ; among them the great Conspiracy Case, involving the assassina- 
tion of President Lincoln, Though a Democrat, Mr, Holt was an earnest supporter 
of Piesideiit Lincoln's administration throughout, and emphatically approved of 
the Emancipation Proclamation of September, 1862, and all other measures hav- 
ing tor their object a vigorous prosecution of the war. On the retirement of 
Jiuige Bates, he was offered, by the President, the position of Attornev-General, 
which he declined. 



185. AMBEOSE E. BUENSIDE. 

G-eneral Ambrose E. Burnside was born in Liberty, Union County, 
Indiana, May 23, 1824, and graduated at West Point in 1847, the fifteenth 
in rank of a class numbering forty-seven. Tlie fol I iwing year he received a 
full Second Lieutenancy and was attached to the Third Artillery. 

He served with credit in the Mexican War, and afterward on the Mexi- 
can frontier, where he was Quartermaster of the Boundary Commission. In 
1851 he left with important dispatches for Washington, and traveled twelve 
hundred miles through a hostile Indian country in seventeen days, meeting 
with many hair-breadth escapes. 

He was subsequently stationed at Newport, R. I., but resigned his com- 
mission to engage in the manufacture of a breech-loading rifle of his own 
invention ; failing in which, he entered the service of the Illinois Central 
Kailroad in 1838, as Cashier, and afterward as Treasurer. 

On the breaking out of the Rebellion he was appointed Colonel of a Rhode 
Island regiment by Governor Sprague ; and, at the first battle of Bull 
Run, commanded a brigade, showing great gallantry, coolness, and skill in 
its management throughout the engagement and retreat. On the 6th of 
August he was made Brigadier-General of Volunteers, and soon after took 
charge of the expedition to Roanoke Island, where he captured six forts 
and batteries, forty cannon, and over two thousand prisoners, which he 
exchanged for those taken at Bull Run. This was one of tlie first suc- 
cesses of the Union army, for which he was made Major-Gencral, and con- 
firmed, March 18, 1802. He afterward captured Newborn, Fort Macon, 
and other important points in North Carolina. 

After the disaster on the Peninsula in 1862, he was ordered North with 
a great part of his army, and commanded the left wing of the Army of the 
Potomac at the battle of Antietam. 

November 7, 1802, General Buriiside succeeded General McClellan in 
command of the Army of the Potomac, when, at liis suggestion, the ])lan of 
operations underwent a material change. Instead of moving on Richmond 
by the Gordonsville route, his plan was to make a feint in that direction, 
and then make a rapid movement of the whole army on Fredericksburg ; 
but the failure to get the pontoons in season prevented the carrying out of 
his plan. After waiting nearly four weeks for them, he made an attack on 
Fredericksburg, which was unsuccessful. 

In January, 18Go, he was relieved by General Hooker, and, March 2G, 
was appointed to command the Department of Ohio, captured Knoxville, 
Tenn., and afterward held it against the besieging army of General Long- 
street. At his own request, he was relieved by General Foster. 

On the reorganization of the Army of the Potomac under Grant, he par- 
ticipated in the campaign against Richmond, and shared in all the sevei-e 
battles that followed, meeting with several narrow escapes, and accompanied 
the army in its movements to Petersburg. 

He resigned his commission in May, 1805, and was elected Grovernor of 
Rhode Island in 18GC, and re-elected in 1807. 



J'f' 



18G. EICHAED S. EWELL. 

General RlcnAKD S. Ewell was born in the District of Columbia about 
the year 1820. In 1830 he entered the military academy at West Point, 
and "^ graduated on the 30th of June, 1840, receiving an appointment as 
Brevet Second Lieutenant of Cavalry on the 1st of July. On the 10th of 
September, 1845, he was made First Lieutenant, and with that rank went 
into the Mexican War, serving in Colonel Mason's dragoons. lie won his 
promotion to Captain in the field, having received it for gallant conduct in 
the battles of Contreras and Churubusco. 

In June, 1847, Captain Ewell was in New Mexico, greatly distinguishing 
himself against the Indians ; and dtiring the year 1858 he took charge of 
and commanded the troops that garrisoned Fort Buchanan in that territory. 
lie Avas, however, suspended in 1859. 

When Virginia seceded. Captain Ewell resigned his commission in tho 
Regular Army, and took sides with the South, entering the Hebel army as a 
Brigadier-General, and, at the battle of Blackburn's Ford, July 18, 18G1, 
was stationed on the extreme right, at Union Mills. 

In Beauregard's official report, he says : " Thanks are due to Brigadier- 
Generals Bonham and Ewell for the ability shown in conducting and 
executing the retrogade movements on Bull Run, directed in my orders — 
movements on which hung the fortunes of the army." 

Until April, 1802, no movements of any importance brought General 
Ewell prominently forward, but in that month he was dii-ected to join 
*' Stonewall " Jackson in the Shenandoah valley ; and then commenced the 
brilliant career that has since marked his name. 

General Ewell took the advance of Jackson's army in the valley, and 
was engaged in several battles with Banks and Fremont, and afterward 
accompanied it with his command to the battle-fields around Richmond, 
where he shared in the heaviest of the engagements. 

After the series of battles around that city had freed it from danger, 
General Ewell was sent against Pope, and met hira on the old battle-field of 
Bull Run, where a fierce engagement ensued on the 29th of August, 18G2, 
in which General Ewell was badly wounded in the knee, and his valuable 
services were, therefore, lost in the momentous battle which took place the 
next day. For several months after, he was unfit for any active duty in 
the field, having been obliged to have his leg amputated. At length, on 
the 29th of May, 1803, he rejoined his old corps as Lieutenant-Gpueral, and 
led the advance of Lee's eecond Mai'yland campaign, wliich ended in the 
memorable battle of Gettysburg, July 1, 2, and 3, 1803. 

In November he was obliged to absent himself on sick leave, in conse- 
quence of renewed trouble from his dismembered limb. In the following 
April he again rejoined tho army, and participated in the various battles of 
1804, in which he acted a consj'icuous part. 

Oil the 0th of April, 1805, his corps was disastrously routed by General 
Sheridan west of Burkesville, and he himself captured. Ho was subsequently 
confined in Fort Warren, but after some months was released. 



187. GEOEGE G. MEADE. 

G-eneral George G. Meade was born December 31, 1815,"at Ca^iz, 
Spain, whei-c his purcnts were temporarily residing. 

While yet an infant he Avas brought by his parents to Philadelphia on 
their return; and, at an early age, was sent to the boys' school at Washing- 
ton, D. C, at that time kept by the present Chief-Justice of the United 
States Supreme Court, Mr. Chase. He afterward attended a military 
school at Mount Airy ; and, in Sci^tembcr, 1831, entered the Military 
Academy at West Point. Graduating in the summer of l8o5, he entered 
the army as Brevet Second Lieutenant of the Third Artillery ; and, at the 
end of the year ho became a full Second Lieutenant ; but, in the October 
following, resigned his position, and retired from the service, becoming a 
Civil Engineer. His principal survey was the Northeastern boundary line. 

In lb4'3 he was reappointed to the army, Avith the rank of Second 
Lieutenant of Topographical Engineers. 

Shortly afterward, he was ordered to Mexico, and took part in that war, 
in which he distinguished himself, and Avas breveted First Lieutenant for 
gallantry at the siege of Monterey, in 184G. On the return of peace he 
employed himself in riv'or and harbor improvem»uts, and in constructing 
light-houses on Delaware Bay and off the coast of Florida. He became 
First Lieutenant in 1851 and Captain in 185G. 

On the breaking out of the Rebellion he was at Detroit, Mich., engaged 
in the national survey of the lakes. He was ordered to report at AVashing- 
ton ; and, on the olst of August, 1801, he received an appointment of Briga- 
dier-General of Volunteers, with command of the Second Brigade of the 
Pennsylvania Reserve Corps. He served throughout the Peninsular cam- 
paign in McCall's Division, and was severely wounded at the battle of White 
Oak SAvamp. 

In September, 1862, he took command of a division in Reynolds's First 
Army Corps, Avhich he conducted Avith great skill and bravery, and through- 
out the day of the famous battle of Antietam, his Reserves Avere in the 
hottest and thickest of the fight. 

On the 29th of November he received the appointment of Major-General 
of Volunteers, and was a participant with the Reserves in the battle of 
Fredericksburg, in December, 18(52; and, on the 20th of the month, was 
appointed to the command of the Fifth Corps. After fighting throughout 
the battle of Chancellorsville, on its defeat, his corps covered the retreat, 
and guarded the crossings until the Avhole army was safely over the river. 

On the 28th of June, 18()3, he was suddenly and unexpectedly called to 
assume command of the Army of the Potomac, and soon fought the great 
battle of Gettysburg, Avhich resulted in victory to the L^nion army, July 3, 
1803. He pursued Lee's army for some days, but it escaped. 

General Meade continued in command of the Army of the Potomac until 
the surrender of I.ee in 1865. He now holds the rank of Major-General ip 
the Regular Army, and is in command of the Atlantic Military Division. 



r r 



188. PETEE G. T. BEAUEEGAED. 



General P£TP:r G. T. BeaUIIegakd was born on his father's planta- 
tion, in the parish of St. Eernard, Louisiana, near New Orleans, May 28, 
1818. 

He was educated in New York Cit}', and appointed to the military 
academy at West Toint, in 1834, iroui which he graduated in 1888, holding 
the position of second in his class, and was soon after made ISecond 
Lieutenant cf the First Artillery, from whence he was transferred to the 
Corjis of Engineers, and made First Lieutenant in 1839. 

He served with distinction in the Mexican War, was breveted Cap- 
tain, in August, 1847, for gallant conduct at Contreras and Churubusco, 
and Mijor, in September of the same year, for services at Chapultepec. In 
the assault on the City of Mexico, Major Beauregard was wounded. Subse- 
quently, ho was placed in charge of the construction of the Mint and Custom- 
House at New Orleans, as well as the fortifications on and near the mouth 
of the Mississippi River. 

In the autumn of 1860, he was appointed Superintendent of the United States 
Military Academy at West Point ; but the War Department soon after ordered 
hira back to his former command at New Orleans. On arriving there, he resij^n 
ed, to follow (according to his principle of State Rigl)ts) tlie fate of his State, which 
had just seceded from the Union, and enlisted as a private in one of the com 
panics of the New Orleans Guards 

February 26, 1801, he was appointed Brigadier-General in the Confed- 
erate army, and ordered by Jefferson Davis to take command of the forces at 
Charleston, South Carolina. Here he employed his engineering skill, 
obtained at West Point, in surrounding Fort Sumter with batteries, on the 
construction of which, the little peaceful garrison looked, without offering 
resistance : for the policy of the United States Government was not to com- 
mence the assault, but to act on the defensive. The steamer Star of the 
Wed, which brought provisions for Fort Sumter, was fired upon, and driven 
off; after which. General Beauregard, by orders from the Confederate Secre- 
tary of War, sent a special message to General Anderson (who had been 
supplied with provisions from Charleston), stating that no further inter- 
course with that city would be permitted, and demanded of him to evacuate 
the fort, which being refused, he opened fire from Fort Johnson at 4:30, 
A. M., April 12, and continued the bombardment from all the forts for 
thirty hours, when the officers' quarters of Fort Sumter caught fire, and 
General Anderson surrendered, April 14, 18G1. 

General Beauregard retired from the command at Charleston, May 28, 
to assume command of the army at Manassas Junction, June 1 ; and July 21, 
1861, fought the first battle of Bull Run, which proved so disastrous to the 
Union armv. For fjallant and meritorious service on that occasion, he was made 
one of the five full <;enerals President Davis was authorized to appoint. He con- 
tinued with the army in Virginia until January, 1862, when he was transferred 
to the army of the Mississippi ; and on the 6th of April, seconded Gen. Johnston 
at Shiloh. 

In September, 1862, he was assigned to the command of South Carolina 
and Georgia, where he was principally employed in the defense of Charleston, 
until 1S(»4, when he was stationed at Petersburg, from whence he went, in 
October of the same year, to oppose Sherman in the Southwest, where his posi- 
tion was more that of a military director than as a General in the field. 

At the close of the Rebellion, he was acting under J. E. Johnston, and 
was included in his surrender to Sherman. Since the close of the war, 
Beauregard has had charge of a railroad in Louisiana. 



ISO. JOSEPH HOOKER 

General Joseph Hooker was born in Iladley, Massachusetts, in 1813. 
He was a lineal descendant of Thomas Hooker, the Puritan pioneer, who led 
the band of one hundred settlers, through the wilderness, to found the city 
of Hartford, and colony of Connecticut; hence his son's iron will and love of 
danger, which have given him the name of "Fighting Joe." 

He early manifested a fondness for study, which he first cultivated at 
Hopkins's Academy, in Ids native town, and afterward at "West Point, where 
he graduated in lbu7. He was at once appointed Second Lieutenant of the 
First Artillery ; and, in November, lbo8, was promoted to First Lieutenant 
in the same regiment. He was successively breveted Captain, Major, and 
Lieutenant-Colonel, for gallant conduct in the Mexican War ; and, in 1848, 
became full Captain. He resigned liis commission in l85o, and settled on a 
farm in California. While in that State he superintended the construction 
of the national road from California to Oregon. 

At the breaking out of the Kebellion, Colonel Hooker sailed for the 
A'lantic coast, reaching New York early in May, 186J, and immediately 
otiered his services to the Government, was commissioned Brigadier-Gene- 
ral of Volunteers on tlic 17th day of May, and emp.oyeii in tlie defenses of Wash- 
ington, and afterward from December, 1861, to March, 1862, in guarding the 
Lower Potomac. 

He served conspicuously in the Peninsular campaign, in operations before 
Yorktown, at Williamsburg, Seven Pines, Gaines' Mills, Glendale, Malvern 
Hill, Seven Days' contest, and second Bull Kun. 

On the 5th of May, 1862, lie was commissioned Major-Oeneral of Volunteers 
He afterward parti(ripated in the battles of Centreville and (Jaiiu'sville, and on the 
Istof St'ptemher, in the short and decisive battle of Chantilly. September 14, in 
the battle of South Mountain, he drove the enemy from their position, over the 
summit of the mountain, in confusion, and fought with ^vvat bravery at the battle 
of Antif tarn, where he was wounded. For the distini^uished skill he displayed on 
this occasion, he was appomted Brigadier-Getieral in the Refiular Army. He 
commanded the Centre Grand Division, under Burnside, at Fredericksburg ; 
and, on the resignation of that officer, in January, 18G^}, General Hooker suc- 
ceeded him in the command of the Army of the Potomac. He fought the 
battle of Chancellors vi lie in the May following, and was relieved by General 
Meade, June 27. Subsequently, he was sent to relieve Rosecrans, at Chat- 
tanooga, and distinguished himself at Lookout Mountain, fighting "above 
the clouds," where he captured a strong position, thereby causing the defeat 
of Bragg, in November. 

As commander of the Twentieth Corps, he participated in Sherman's 
Atlanta campaign. He was in command of the Department of" the North, with 
headquarters at Cincinnati, from September 24, 1864, to July 5, 1865, and after- 
ward, the Department of the East, with headquarters fat New York, from July 
8, 1865, to August 6, 1866, and in the Department of the Lakes, with headquar- 
ters at Den-oit, from August 23, 1866, to June 1, 1867. 

General Hooker was mustered out of the volunteer service. September 1, 
1866, and retired from active service at his own request, October 15, 1868. 

He received the thanks of Congress, January 28, 1864, for the skill, energy, and 
endurance which first covered Washington and Baltimore from tlie meditated 
blow of the advancing and powerful army of rebels led by General Robert E. Lee ; 
and for gallant and meritorious servicts ut the battle of Chattanooga, was made 
Brevet Major General of the United States Army, March 13 1865. 



190. "PAESON" BEOWNLOAV. 

William Gannaway Brownlow was born in Wythe County, Virginia, 
Auj^ust 20, 18Uo. Being left an orphan at eleven years of age, he was 
oblfged to Avork in the humblest capacity until he arrived at his eighteenth 
year, Avhcn, through natural force of character, he set about learning the 
carpenters' trade, at wliich he worked till he had obtained means to procure 
a better education. 

He entered tlie Methodist ministry in 1826, and became an itinerant 
Preacher. In 18o2 lie was a Delegate to the General Conference in Philadel- 
I)lii;i, butafterward traveled a circuit in South Carolina, the home of Calhoun, 
Avhere the Nullification excitement led him into the controversy, by his ex- 
pressions of attachment for the Union, and where he was subsequently 
compelled to publish a pamphlet in his own defense, in consequence of the 
fierce ot)position soon exc.ted against him. He also published a pamphlet 
against the position of the Methodist Church South, in regard to slavery, in 
which he predicted the troubles of the country on the slave question, and 
avowed his determination to stand by the Union. 

Mr. BrownloAV commenced his political career in Tennessee, in 1828, as 
an advocate of the election of John Quincy Adams to the Presidency, having 
always been, as he says, "a Federal Whig, of the Washington and Alexan- 
der Hamilton school." About 18o9 he became Editor of the Knoxville, Ten- 
nessee, Whig, a political newspaper, which attained a large circulation ; and 
it was under the bold and defiant tone of this paper that he obtained the 
boubriquet of the " Fighting Parson." 

From the commencement of the secession movement, he boldly main- 
tained an unconditional adherence to the Union, which course subjected him 
to much persecution. OnOctober24, 1801, he published the last number of the 
]Vhig, and was obliged to conceal himself from the violence of his enemies ; 
but was induced, by false promises of protection, to report himself to the 
Confederate General at Knoxville, where he was arrested for treason, and 
sent to jail. Plere he was detained, in constant expectation of death, suffer- 
ing from severe illness, and kept under military authority until March, 
18U2. Ho was then released and forwarded to the Union lines, at Nsah- 
ville. He published, about this time, his sketches of the " Rise, Progress, 
and Decline, of Secession, with a Narrative of Personal Adventures among 
the Rebels." 

Parson Brownlow's career since the date of the trying events of the war, 
is one belonging to the history of the State of Tennessee. Ilis election as 
Governor of the State, his efforts to restore public order, to promote free- 
dom of opinion, and to extend the rights of manhood to every citizen, have 
attracted the attention of the whole country ; and while Tennessee contains 
tmquestionably, many true and loyal people, "the ineradicable taint of sin" 
appears to be so deeply ingrained, that not even the sturdy fidelity of the 
nniicst patriotism can prevent the savage and unnatural outrages which 
stain her soil with horror. 

_ Bnjwnlow lias proved that truth and loyalty can exist, in all their vigor, 
ui the midst of perverted and baneful influences. His record will outlive 
the turbulent liutcs of the time, and glow with brightness on the pages of 
Instory. 



191. WILLIAM H. SEWAED. 

William H. Sewakd was Lorn in the village of Florida, New York, 
May IG, 1801. From childhood he exhibited a love of knowledge, and an 
earnest inclination and taste for study ; and when yet a mere child, he ran 
away to school. At nine years of age, he was sent to Farmers' Hall 
Academy, at Goshen. Here books were his favorite companions ; and he 
always read with pencil in hand, lest memory should drop a single one of 
the pearls he gathered in his literary pilgrimage. 

When but fifteen he entered the Sophomore class at Union College, 
Schenectady, N. Y. His favorite studies in College were rhetoric, moral 
philosoph}'', and the ancient classics. 

In 1811), when but eighteen years of age, and while in the Senior class, 
he withdrew from College, and engaged himself as a teaclier at the South. 
He graduated in 1820, and soon after commenced the study of law in New 
York City, where he was admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court in 1822. 

In January of the next year, he commenced practice in Auburn, N. Y., 
where, by severe industry, he soon became possessed of an extensive and 
successful practice. He, at the same time, gave considerable attention to 
politics, and avowed his opposition to the extension of slavery. 

In 1824 he drew up an address, which exposed the origin and design of 
the Albany Regency. He joined the anti-Masonic organization ; and, in 
18o0, received the nomination of that party to the State Senate, for the 
Seventh District, and was elected. He was the leading spirit of the State 
among the advocates for the election of John Q. Adams as President of 
the United States, in opposition to the Jackson i)arty and the Albany 
Regency. 

In 1834 he was nominated by the Wliig party, as candidate for Governor, 
but was defeated by William L. Marcy. In 1838 he was again a candidate, 
and elected by ten thousand majority. During his administration, impris- 
onment for debt was abolished, and every vestige of slavery removed from 
the statute-books. He upheld the system of internal improvements, and 
devoted himself to reforming the mode of public education. 

He was re-elected in 1840 ; and, on tlie expiration of the second term, 
declined a renomination. In 1849 he was elected United States Senator, 
and re-elected in 18'")."), at the expiration of which, he was appointed, by 
President Lincoln, Secretary of State, which oflSce he filled with eminent aUilitv 
through the trying period of the Rebellion, and during Mr. Johnson's terra of office 
as President, which en'ipil in 18<>8. 

On the night of April 14, 18G5, a desperate attempt was made by Rebel 
sympathizers to assassinate him, while he lay upon a sick bed. He was 
severely and dangerously wounded, but survived the event. 

During his term of office as Secretary of State, Mr. Seward negotiated the pur- 
chase of Alaska of the Russian Government; and, in 1869, visited tliat country, 
stopping at California and Mexico on his return, meetintr with an enthusiastic re- 
ception as an appreciation of his eminent ability and services to his country. 



192. ALEXANDEE II. STEPHENS. 

Alexander II. Stephens was born in Taliaferro County, Georgia, 
February 11, 1812, and graduated at Franklin College, Athens, Ga., in 18o2, 
at the head of his class. Choosing and studying the law, he was admitted 
to the bar in 18o4, and soon obtained a lucrative practice in the town of 
rJrawfordville, in his native county. 

Alter paying his debts, Avhich ho had incurred in obtaining his educa- 
tion, liis first earnings Avcre devoted to redeeming from the hands of 
strangers the homo of his childhood, which had been sold after his father's 
death. 

In ISoG he was elected to the Lower House of the State Legislature, 
where he served five years, devoting himself especially to the internal 
interests of his native State. 

In 1S;J9 he was cliosen a Delegate to the Commercial Convention at 
Charleston, where he is said to have made a deep impression by his peculiar 
eloquence. In 1842 he was elected to the Senate of his State, and m lb'48 
he was elected a Representative in Congress from Georgia, as a AVhig, 
retaining his seat until 1850, when he voluntarily retired. He served on 
many committees while in Congress, and delivered many speeches; and it 
was while he officiated as Chairman of the Committee on Territories, that 
the Territories of Minnesota and Oregon were admitted into the Union. 
After the first Kansas struggle in Congress, Mr. Stephens became a Democrat : 
:ind, in 1808, steadily sustained the Lecompton Constitution. 

The disturbances following the Presidential election of 18G0 called him 
from his retirement, and he made several speeches defending the Union and 
deprecating secession. The subsequent spring, however, having been chosen 
Vice-President of the Confederate States, he made a violent war speech at 
Atlanta, Ga., charging the responsibility upon the North, and declaring that 
the South would call out million after million, till the last man fell, rather 
than be conquered. In a speech delivered at Savannah in the spring oi 
ISGI, he says, " that slavery was the cause of the rupture ; that the prevail- 
ing idea of Jefferson and most of the leading statesmen, at the time of the 
formation of the Constitution, was that the enslavement of the African was 
in violation of the laws of nature ; that it was wrong in principle — socially, 
morally, and politically wrong ; that it would, in the order of Providence, 
soon pass away. "But," said Mr. Stephens, " those ideas were fundamentally 
wrong. We propose to found the neio Confederate Government on exactly 
opposite ideas.. Its * corner-stone ' rests upon the idea that slavery is the 
normal condition of the African ; and this stone, which was rejected by the 
first builders, has become the chief stone of the corner of our edifice." Thus 
boldly admitting what had been always claimed by the North respecting 
the sentiments of the founders of the Republic. 

Mr. Stephens's political life becomes consistent by remembering that ho 
was a follower of Calhoun, as a champion of Southern interest and policv, 
throuo-liout. He remained Vice-President of the Confederacy during the 
Itebclhon ; and,in May, 180r),after the surrender of General Lee, was arrested 
and imprisoned in Fort Warren, but soon after released. He has since 
written a book, entitled, " A Constitutional View of the Late War between the 
states, Its Causes, Conduct, and Results." 
T.-rif^' ?^'^P^5^^ i« ^ shrewd and specious writer and debater, when on the 

lInZ° !^T^ f '^\'f 'i' v"" ' ''''^' ^°^ '^ag^vcity and devotion to the Southern 
cause, none has excelled him since Calhoun. 



193. THADDEUS STEVENS. 

TnADDEUS Stevens, " The Old Commoner " of the United States House 
of Representatives, was born in Danville, Caledonia County, Vermont, 
April 4, 1703. After attending the common school, he fitted for college at 
Peacham Acadamy, and entered the Vermont University in 1818, which 
suspended operations after he had been there two years, on account of the 
war, and he proceeded to Dartmouth College, where he graduated in 1814. 

After studying law at Peacham, he left his native State, and settled in. 
York, Pa., where he taught school, and pursued his legal studies for a year, 
when he removed to Gettysburg, opened an office, and entered upon the 
practice of his profession. He was soon in the possession of an extensive 
and lucrative business, to which he gave his entire attention for sixteen 
years, during which he was employed in many of the most important cases 
tried in the Courts of the Commonwealth, and was one of the most acute 
lawyers and able reasoners in the State. He was especially pleased to be 
retained in causes where the oppressed and weak were to be protected from 
the machinations of the tyrannical and strong. 

In ]8<J3 he was elected to the State Legislature, ana also in 1834, 1835, 
1837, and 1841, In 1830 he was elected a Member of the Convention to 
revise the State Constitution, but refused to sign his name to the completed 
instrument, because it contained the word *' white," as a qualification of 
suffrage. In 1838 he was appointed a Canal Commissioner. 

While in the Legislature, his efforts saved the Common School system 
from being overthrown. By that effort he established the principle that it 
is the duty of the State to provide the facilities for education to all the 
children of the Commonwealth. In 1843, Mr. Stevens, finding liimself in 
debt from losses in the iron business, in which he was extensively engaged 
at Gettysburg, and from liabilities for indorsements, removed to Lancaster, 
Pa., where, his reputution having preceded him, liis income from his profes- 
sion soon became the largest at the bar. In a few years he paid his debts, 
and saved the bulk of his estate. 

In 1848, and again in 1850, he was elected to the United States Congress, 
when, declining to be re-elected, he returned to his profession, until 1858, 
when he was again sent to the House of liepresentatives, where he con- 
tinued to serve without interruption until his death. His course in Con- 
gress forms an important part in the history of a mighty people, in the 
greatest crisis of their existence. 

In private life, among his friends, Mr. Stevens was ever genial, kind, and 
considerate. For them he would labor and sacrifice, without stint, com- 
plaint, or regret. His rare conversational powers, fund of anecdotes, bril- 
liant sallies of wit, and wise sayings upon the topics of the hour, made his 
company sought and enjoyed. 

Mr. Stevens was an lioncst and truthful man in public and private life. 
In his private charities he was lavish, being incapable of saying " No," in 
the presence of want or misery. His charity, like his political convictions, 
regarded neither creed, I'ace, or color. He was a good, classical scholar, 
well read on subjects of philosophy and law, and a bold, determined, and 
uncompromising foe to oppression, in every form. He died August 11, 18G8, 
and his remains lie in a private cemetery, for reasons stated in the follow- 
ing epitaph, prepared by himself : 

*'I repose in this quiet and secluded spot, not from any natural prefer- 
ence for solitude ; but, finding other cemeteries limited, by charter-rules, to 
race, I have chosen it, that I might be enabled to illustrate in my death the 
principles which I have advocated through a long life : Equality of man 
before his Creator.'''' 



;^ 



194. TIIURLOW WEED. 

TiiUKLOW "Wekd was born in Catskill, New York, in. 1797. The loss of 
]iis parents, Avho were in poor circiirastances, threw him at an early age 
upon hid own resources, and he engaged as a Cabin-Boy ou a North River 
sloop. 

His first step towards his present profession was in the character or 
" Devir' in the printing office of a country paper, but was subsequently 
employed as an itinerant Journeyman in the office of the Jlerkimer Ameri- 
Ciin, edited by the late Cohjuel Stone. 

Durino- the war with Great Britain, he enlisted as Drummer in the United 
States army, and served on the Northern frontier. 

On leaving the army, ho resumed his former occupation of Printer in 
New York City. 

Sometime after, he returned to the country, married, and started a 
country paper, wliich he published first in Onondaga, and afterwards in 
Chenango County, New York, advocating the Canal policy of Governor 
Clinton. 

His paper not proving successful, in 1824, he resumed his occupation of 
Journeyman Printer, in Albany. Here he became actively engaged in poli- 
ties, especially in the struggle which terminated in the election of John 
Quincy Adams as President of the United States. 

Soon after this, he removed to Kochester, and edited a daily paper in that 
city. During the excitement caused by the alleged abduction of Morgan 
by the Free Masons, in 182G-'27, he edited the Anti-Mason Enquirer in that 
city, and was three times elected to the State Legislature by the Anti- 
Masonic party. 

On the establishment of the Albany Evening Journal, in 18C0, Mr. Weed 
returned to Albany, and became its Editor, where he continued until 1866, 
when, for a time, he was connected with the NeiD York Times, and, in 
March, 1867, associated himself with the Commercial Advertiser, of New- 
York City, with which he has, until recently, been connected. 

Mr. Weed took a prominent part in procuring the nomination of General 
Harrison for President in 1840, General Taylor in 1848, and General Scott 
in 1852, in each instance as an independent adviser rather than as a member 
of the respective conventions — a position which strict regard to the rule of 
conduct which he had prescribed, has never allowed him to deviate from. 

lie warmly advocated the election of Fremont and Lincoln, although his 
influence in each case had been exerted in favor of the nomination of Mr. 
Seward. 

In 1861 he visited Europe at the suggestion of influential friends of the 
administration of President Lincoln, who thought that, in a " semi-diplo- 
matic'' capacity, he could be of service to the country in the political circles 
of London and Paris, in respect to the delicate relations of the United States 
Av th foreign powers, arising out of the civil war. He returned in Juno, 
1862, receiving the freedom of the city from the Corporation of New York 
on his arrival. 

For a number of years Mr. Weed was the acknowledged leader of the 
A\ lug and llepublican parties in the State of New York, and has never beea 
excelled as a shrewd political manager. 



195. EDWIN M. STANTON. 

ED^yIX M. Stanton iiv-as born at Stcubcnville, Ohio, about the year 
1817. After o-raduating at Kenyon College, he applied himself diligently 
to the study of law, commenced practice in Steubenviile, and rapidly rose to 
distinction in his profession, Avhich he practiced for several years in Ohio. 

In 1848 he removed to Pittsburg. Here he conducted, with signal suc- 
cess, the case involving the Wheeling controversy, wherein, for the first 
time, the brilliancy of his talents received a national recognition. 

He early turned his attention to politics; and, although educated as a 
"Whig, he began his career as an ultra Democrat. 

He was selected at the commencement of Buchanan's administration to 
conduct an important law case in California, in which he was successful. 
He then commenced practice at Washington, and shortly afterward received 
the appointment of Attorney-General. At the close of Buchanan's adminis- 
tration, he withdrew to private life, and resumed the practice of his profes- 
sion in Pennsylvania, whence, however, at the opening of the battle year 
of 186'-i, he was appointed Secretary of War, by Mr. Lincoln, to suDcr- 
sede Mr. Cameron. 

So soon as his appointment was confirmed by the Senate, Mr. Stanton 
grasped the reins of his difficult trust with characteristic vigor. One of his 
primary measures was to provide for the wants and contribute to the com- 
fort of our soldiers who were confined in Southern prisons. In his " Annual 
Hoport" for the year 18Go, the courage, devotion, patriotism, and brilliant 
achievements of the national armies, are feelingly eulogized. 

At the opening of the year I8G-1, some eftbrts were made to have him 
removed from the stormy helm he had grasped so firm — probably from jeal- 
ousy or partisan motives — but they were unsuccessful. Mr. Lincoln had 
perfect confidence in his ability and patriotism, and few of his opponents 
can truthfu.ly Avithhold from him that respect which is due to promptness 
of decision, vigor of deed, and probity of purpose. 

A difference of views in regard to the carrying out of the Reconstruction 
laws of Congress through the ofiicers of the army occurring between Mr. 
Johnson and himself, he was requested to resign, which he refused to do; 
and, August 12, 18(57, President Johnson suspended him from office, and 
appointed General Grant, Secretary of War ad interim; but the Senate, 
having decided that he was legally and rightfully Secretary of War, and 
that President Johnson had no right to suspend him under the Tenure of 
Office Law without the consent of the Senate, General Grant surrendered 
the office to him again, January 13, 18G8. 

February 21, President Johnson again attempted to remoA'C him by 
appointing" General Lorenzo Thomas, Secretary of War ad interim, and 
ordered Mr. Stanton to tr.msfer the ofiice to him, to which he refused to 
accede. For this and other causes, articles of impeachment were brought 
against President Johnson ; but, failing to convict him, Mr. Stanton resigned. 
and retiring again to private life, resumed the practice of the law, in which ho 
continued until his death, December 24, 1869. 



lOG. JUDAH r. BEINJAMIN. 

JuDAii Peter Benjamin was born in St. Domingo in 1812, of Hebrew 
parents. 

In 18 IG the family emigrated to Savannah, Ga. The son entered Yale 
College in 1825, but left in 1827, about which time his father died. In 1831 
he went to New Orleans to study law, with very limited resources. Obtain- 
ing a situation as a teacher, he ai^plied himself with commendable industry 
tohis legal studies. Among his fair pux)ils was a young lady, Miss St. 
Martin, whom he afterward married. 

Admitted to the bar-in 18o4, he soon rose to eminence, and was attached 
to the Whig party. In the Convention to revise the Constitution of Louis- 
iana, he advocated the article requiring the Governor to be a native-born 
cilizcn of the United States. 

In 1849 he declined the office of Attorney-General of the United States, 
offered him by President Taylor. 

Mr. Benjamin then engaged in sugar-planting, and published several 
jiamphlets on the subject, but never succeeded in realizing profits in the 
business. 

In 1852 he succeeded the Hon. S. N. Downs in the United States Senate, 
and distinguished himself ; but, having been led by the developments of the 
slavery question to ally himself with the Democrats, he rose to consider- 
able prominence in the Southern section of that party. A sharp controversy 
with Jefferson Davis was near causing a duel, but Mr. D. openly apologized 
for his harsh language, which he attributed to his military propinquities. 

Mr. Benjamin advocated Mr. Douglas's Kansas-Nebraska bill in 1854, 
but subsequently insisted that the principle of popular sovereignty was set 
aside by the Dred Scott case, which, he contended, ought to be considered 
decisive. 

He was re-elected to the Senate in 1859, through the influence of his 
colleague, Mr. Slidell ; and went to California in 18G0 as Counsel in the New 
Almaden Quicksilver case. Returning in the latter part of the year, he 
announced his adhesion to the Southern cause in a speech of considerable 
force, Avherein he declared that the South could never be subdued. Ho 
Avithdrew with Mr. Slidell, February 4, 18G1, and was immediately appointed 
Attorney-General in the Provisional Government of the Southern Con- 
federacy. 

^ In August, 18G1, he became Acting Secretary of "War in place of L. P. 
Walker, and retained the office till after the capture of Roanoke Island by 
the Union forces in the early part of 18G2, which was attributed to incom- 
petency in the department over which he presided. He was then appointed 
Secretary of State on the resignation of R. M. T. Hunter. 

_ On the conquest of the Rebellion, Mr. Benjamin, who had figured con- 
spicuously in the so-called Confederacy, betook himself, with others of his 



^, ^ J. 7 occasionally 

the press. 

Among the remarkable episodes of Mr. Benjamin's career, the notorious 
icliuantcpec Railroad speculation formed a prominent feature. The United 
states Senate Commiitee, Mr. R. Toombs, Chairman, denounced the transac- 

1 cr V\f •'^""'^^ ' ""''^ ^^° ""^^^^^ confirming the titles of Messrs. Benjamin 
ana biideil, introduced clandestinclv in a bill to settle land claims in Mia- 
eoun, was subsequently repealed. ' 



197. HOWELL COBB. 

Howell Cobb was born September 7, 1815, at Cherry Ilill, Jefferson 
County, Georgia. 

He graduated in 1834, at the Franklin University, Athens, Ga., standing 
high in his class. In 1830 he was admitted to the bar, and there exhibited 
talents which afterward distinguished him in more prominent x)ositions. 

He was chosen by the Legislature, in 1837, as Solicitor-General of the 
Western District of Georgia, which position he held for thre« years, and 
acquitted himself successfully. 

Being popular as a Jackson or Union Democrat, ho was elected to Con- 
gress in 184-3, and re-elected in 1844, '4j, and '48, Avhere he distinguished 
himself by his familiarity with parliamentary rules, fair tkill as a debater, 
strong professions of love for the Union, and of admiration for the course 
of Andrew Jackson in suppressing nuUitication in South Carolina, and 
equally vehement professions of fealty to " States Rights." 

He became the leader of the House in the Thirtieth Congress, by his 
efficient support of President Polk's policy of war against Mexico. In 1848 
ho supported Cass for President. 

He was elected Speaker oi the House in 1849, and in 1850 distinguished 
himself by his advocacy of the Compromise measures, f jr which he was op- 
posed by the extreme advocates of Southern rights in Georgia. He defended 
Congress, and, as the champion of the Union party, was nominated for 
Governor. After a violent contest, he was elected by a large majority. On 
his retirement he resumed the practice of law ; but in the Pierce campaign 
was again called into active political life, when he was again elecied to 
Congress, in 1855. 

In 185G he made a prominent tour through the Northern States, advoca- 
ting the election of James Buchanan for President, who, immediately on 
his accession, appointed him Secretary of the Treasury. Mr Cobb's admin- 
istration of this office was disgraced throughout, in the prostitution of his 
official power over the finances of the Government to the one base purpose 
of bankrupting the Treasury, and promoting the success of the imi^ending 
Rebellion, by buying up portions of the outstanding debt at a premium of 
twelve to sixteen per cent., and then going into the market to borrow money 
at an enormous interest to meet the current expenses. 

On the lOih of December, 18G0, he resigned, giving as a reason, that the 
bankrupt condition of the Treasury no longer needed his services. 

He was one of the Delegates to the Provisional Congress, over which he 
presided ; but, upon the formation of the Confederate Congress, his official 
relation to the civil affairs of the Confederacy ended. He then took part 
in organizing the Militia of Georgia, after which, he raised the Sixteenth 
Georgia Regiment, served under M igruder on the Peninsula, was promoted 
to Brigadier General, and subsequently to Major General; but made no 
mark during the Rebellion. After its collapse, he was among the unrecon-tructed 
pouring out vials of wrath on Union men and Rebels who advocate the Recon- 
struction measures of Congress. 

Mr. Cobb came nortli on a tour of pleasure in the fall of 1868 with bis wife and 
daughter; and after a short stay at Niagara Fall.s, returned to New York City 
where he died suddenly at the Fifth Avenue Hotel, October 8, 1868. 



;^ 



198. SAMUEL C. POMEROY. 

Samuel C. Pomekoy was born in Southampton, Massachusetts, January 
o, ISK), and spent liis boyhood on his father's farm. After receivin.ir an 
academical education, he emered Amherst College in 1836. He spetit four years 
in Ooondatja County, New York, and, in 1842, returned to Southampton. 

While in Kcw York, in 1840, he became a convert to political anti- 
slavery through the eloquence of that remarkable :nan, Alvin Stewart. Ho 
immediately took steps to organize a county Liberty party, and called a, 
meeting to be held at Lyon, the county seat. Arriving there at the appointed 
time, he found an audience of just two persons. Mr. Pomeroy called the 
meeting to order, and delivered the speech, while one of the gentlemen took 
tho chair, and the other acted as secretary. Resolutions were then adopted, 
ar.d a county ticket nominated, which received at the election eleven xoics 
in a population of twenty thousand souls. 

On his return to Southampton, he worked zealously in disseminating 
anti-slavery truths, lecturing in school-houses, and making converts every- 
where. 

After eight years of battle, nominated for the Mussachusetts Legislature 
upon the same ticket year after year, Mr. Pomeroy at lentgh won, triumph- 
ing over both Whigs and Democrats in 1851. This was a great victory. 

In 1854 he engaged in organizing the New England Emigrant Aid 
Society, and became its financial agent. On the 27th of August of that 
year, the first little band of Kansas emigrants assembled in Boston under 
the lead of Mr. Pomeroy, bound for the far West, a land by their efforts, and, 
perhaps, at the sacrifice of lives, to be forever consecrated to freedom. When 
the historian of another generation shall seek, among the incidents of our 
brief and passing hours, to find the pivot upon which, at one moment of its 
life, turned the nation's destiny, trembling and seeming all uncertain, he 
iciUJi?id it Jicre. 

Arriving in Kansas the same year, Mr. Pomeroy participated in the 
aftairs of that territor)'-, and worked zealously toward organizing its society 
itpon the model of New England thrift, intelligence, and freedom. 

He was a member of the Territorial Defense Committee, and a Delegate 
to the Pittsburg and Philadelphia Conventions of 185G. It was in opposition 
the infamous swindle of the Lecompton Constitution that commenced the 
poUiical career of Mr. Pomeroy in Kansas. Down to this period his labors 
had been purely those of the i^hilanthropist. From henceforward we find 
him in the political arena, and here, if anywhere, we firmly expect to find 
the true record of a man. 

In 1858 ho was elected the first Mayor of Atchison, and was re-elected 
the next year. The first free school was instituted by him while filling the 
Mayoralty. He was a Delegate to the Chicago Convention in 18G0, which 
nominated Abraham Lincoln for the Presidency, and, during the famine of 
that year in Kansas, was Chairman of the Relief Committee. 

In 18G1 he was elected United States Senator from Kansas, and re-elected 
in 1807. Mr. Pomeroy's career in Congress has been radical in the best 
sense of the word, and his anti-slavery record stands conspicuously among 
the proudest of his peers Upon his tombstone let the motto of his life bo 
written :^I WAS RIGHT upon this question in 1840." 



199. SCHUYLER COLFAX. 

ScnuYLER Colfax -was born in tlie city of "New York, March 23, 1823, 
and is a lineal descendant from General Schuyler and Captain Colfax, both 
of Kevolutioiiary celebrity. 

He received all his academical instruction before he was ten j-ears of age. 
At the age of thirteen, lie went to Indiana, where, about the year 1845, he became 
editor and proprietor of the Soafh Bend Eeffisler. Mr. Colfax was then only 
twenty-two years of age ; but, by liis energy and his sterling integrity, he worked 
himself into a position of influence and responsibility. The paper he published was 
a political organ, and in the interest of the Whig Party. Its circulation was large 
for a county paper, and its editor strove to render it a useful and healthyjournal ; 
and it was not long- before he obtained considerable reputation for his bold 
avowal of honest bentiments, for his temperate habits, and his substantial 
abilities; and eventually he became an influential leader in the politics of 
Indiana. 

In 1848 he was appointed a Delegate to the Whig National Convention, 
and elected Secretary. 

In 1850 he was elected a Member of the Indiana State Convention, having 
for its object the preparation of a State Constitution. In this body he 
proved very efficient in bringing about the adoption of the present Consti- 
tution of that State. 

In 1851 he was a candidate of the Whig party for Representative to 
Congress, but was unsuccessful. 

In lb52 ho was again sent as a Delegate to the Whig National Conven- 
tion, and elected Secretary. 

In 1854 Mr. Colfax was elected by the Kepublican party a Kepresenta/- 
tive to Congress, and from that time to the present has occupied a seat in 
the House. At the opening of the Thirty-Fourth Congress, and during its 
session, Mr. Colfax took his stand as one of the most promising Congressional 
debaters. His speech against the extension of slavery was a masterly effort, 
and stamped him at once as a most influential orator. 

In 185() l\Tr. Colfax labored zealously for the election of John C. Fremont. 

In the Thirty-fifth Congress he was appointed Chairman of tlie Committee 
on Post-Ofhces and Post-Koads, which position he held until his election as 
Speaker of the Thirty-Eighth Congress, to which responsible position he has 
since been twice re-elected — honors awarded before only to Henry Clay. 

As a speaker, Mr. Colfax is earnest, frank, pointed, and fluent. His 
manner is pleasing, and his language well chosen and refined. He always 
commands the respect and attention of both sides of the House. 

Mr. Colfax received the unanimous nomination of the Republican 
Convention in May, 18G8, for Vice-President of the United States, and was 
elected. 



^ i 



200. AVADE HAMPTON. 

General "Wade Hamptox was born in tlie city of Charleston, South 
Carolina, in the year IS 18. His early education was received at South 
Carolina Colleiro, where he gT^dualed with much distinction. The pursuits 
of Hampton, previous to the Kebellion, were almost exclusively those of a 
l)lanter, thou.u'h he served in both branches of the South Carolina Legisla- 
ture with distinction. 

His argument against the opening of the African slave trade was spoken 
of as a masterpiece of elegant and statesmanlike logic, dictated by the 
noblest sentiments of the Christian and the patriot. 

At the commencement of 1801, he was considered one of the richest 
planters of the South, and owned the greatest number of slaves. When 
hostilities commenced, he immediately raised a splendid legion of six com- 
panies of infantry, himself their leader, and contributed largely toward 
their equipment. 

He joined the Confederate Army just in time to take part in the battle of 
the first Bull Run, July 21, 18G1, where his "soldierly ability" was espe- 
cially noted by General Beauregard, who said that " veterans could not 
have behaved better than his well-led regiment." Before the last charge, 
however, he was wounded in the head, and obliged to retire from the field. 

In the subsequent battles on the Peninsula, Hampton's Legion was ever 
conspicuous; and, at the battle of Seven Pines, was especially noticed. 
During the battle of Gaines' Mill, June 39, the Hampton Legion again 
displayed great valor. 

Hampton was now promoted to Brigadier-General of Cavalrj-, under 
Major-General Stuart, and zealously seconded that officer in all his daring 
exploits, accompanying him on his successful expedition into Maryland. 

At the battle of Gettysburg, General Hampton was v.'ounded thrice, 
which compelled him to retire a while from his command; but his active 
spirit would not brook a longer absence than Avas imperative. Therefore, 
we find him again zealously engaged with Stuart, the two Lees, and his 
gallant men, in many other raids and adventures. On the death of General 
Stuart, May 11, 1864, having been made a Major-General, he took command 
of the cavalry ; and, in August, was made Commander-in-Chief of all the 
Cavalry in the Army of Northern Virginia, and was henceforth considered 
as General Lee's Master of Horse, — a position of no slight dignity in such 
times. One of his most exciting raids, and one which was peculiarly ser- 
viceable to the Confederate army, was his foray upon General Grant's com- 
missariat, in which he captured over two thousand cattle. 

General Hampton continued at the head of the cavalry until the surren- 
der of Lee, April U, 1805, having previously been promoted to a Lieutenant- 
General 

At the Democratic Convention which met in New York, July 4, 1808, 
for the purpose of nominating candidates for President and Vice-JPresident 
oi the United States,General Hampton was a Delegate from South Carolina, 
and was one of its most prominent and influential members. 

General Hampton is said to be a man of immense physical strength and 
activity, of wonderful endurance, and of inexhaustible energy. He'is pas- 
sionately fond of horses, a splendid rider, a practical swordsman, and an 
excellent shot. ■ > 



201. heinry a. wise. 

Henry A. Wise was bm-n DccGmber 3, ISOG, in Drummond Town, Aom- 
mnck County, Virfrinia. He became an orphan at an early a<:e, was sent to 
Washinjiton College, Pa., and gradunted, in 1825, with honor. He stu.iied law, 
and was admitted to the bar at Winchester, Va., in 1828. The same year he 
removed to Nashville, Term., and practiced his profession two years, when, from 
local attacliment, he returned to Accomack County in 1830. He became one of 
the most vigorous exponenfs of "State Rights. 

In 1833 he was elected to Congress, and fought a duel witb H. Coke, bis 
political opponent, whose right arra was fractured. He was re-clcctf *1 in 
1835, and continued to serve until 1843. In the famous Graves and Cilley 
duel, he was second of the former, but tried to prevent the collision. 

Mr. Wise was instrumental in the nomination of John Tyler; and, on 
President Harrison's death, he urged Tyler to veto the United States Bank 
bill, and to further the speedy annexation of Texas. In 1842 the Senate 
rejected him as Minister to France. In 1843 ho resigned his seat in Con- 
gress for the mission to Brazil, which post he occupied until the fall of 
1847. In 1848 he was one of the Presidential Electors of Virginia; and in 1850 
was a Member of the Kcform Convention of that State, which adopted the 
late Constitution. In 1852 he was again Presidential Elector. 

In 1854 the Know-Nothing party came into existence, which called out 
Mr. Wise, with all the ardor of his temperament, in opposition to its 
principles and objects ; and, in 1855, he was elected Governor of Virginia, 
which office he held until 1860. 

In 185y, ne puuiished an elaborate treatise on Territorial Governments and the 
admission of new States into the Union. That year commenced those 
events which only ended when, after four years of bloody struggle, the 
question of slaveiy was settled by its eradication. 

Governor Wise took a very active part in the troubles of the times, and 
was called upon, as Governor, to administer the laws against the conspirators, 
headed by John Brown, at Harper s Ferry. He was a Member of the State 
Convention to consider the relations of Virginia to the Federal Government. 
He entered with his wonted enthusiasm into the war of the Kebeliion, 
and advised the people to " take a lesson from John Brown." He was 
appointed Brigadier-General in the Confederate army, and occupied the 
Kanawha valley, until ordered to Richmond, when he was sent to defend Roanoke 
Island, N. C. ; but, at the attack by Burnside. he was sick at Nag's Head. " The 
Wise Legion" took part in the action, and his son, Captain 0. Jennings Wise, 
was among ihe killed. His Brigade was reorganized in the spring of 1862, anil 
l)aiticipated in the Peninsular Campaign, and, in 1863, was with General Beaure- 
gard in South Carolina. 

In May, 1864, he was ordered with his command to Petersburg, where he was 
actively engaged and continuously under fire until his surrender, with General 
Lee, at Appomattox. General Wise's Brigade fired the last infantry guns for the 
Confederate cause. 

Since the restoration of peace, he has been occasionally heard from, and 
not without some of his characteristic vehemence. But he is, like many 
who have played their parts in the great drama of our national strife, 
retired into the shadowy precincts of the closing scenes. Henry A. Wise 
is entitled to the tribute of honest and earnest purpose in a " lost cause." 



202. WENDELL PHILLIPS. 

Wendell Phillips -was born in Boston, Massachusetts, November 29, 
1811. He sraduated at Harvard College in 1831, and at Cambridge Law 
School in ]8<J3, He was admitted to the Suffolk bar in 1834, and began life 
with every advantage. 

But at the very outset he was a witness of the mob in which Garrison 
was dragged through Boston for the conscientious expression of his opinions. 
This aroused the Puritan spirit, and the events of tlie next year — l»a6 — together 
with his marriage to a devoted Abolitionist, made Mr. Phillips give himself to the 
auti- slavery cause. 

When Rev. E. P. Lovejoy was murdered at Alton, 111., in 1837, a great 
public meeting was held in Boston, to express the horror felt at this outrage 
on the f . ecdom of the press and the rights of opinion. The conservative 
powers strenuously resisted the efforts of free speech, and the Attorney- 
General of the State denounced the reformers, and declared that Lovejoy 
was presumptuous and imprudent, and died as the fool dieth. Dr. Channing 
was declared equally out of place. This speech produced a sensation in the 
♦• Old Cradle of Liberty," and Phillips, who had come, without expecting to 
speak, rose, and, amidst the boisterous cries of the mobocratic party, rebuked 
the spirit of conservative tyranny, till a storm of apj)lause and hisses inter- 
rupted the young orator. An attempt was made to silence him, but Phillips 
persisted ; and, after the most eloquent and scathing speech, took his position 
as the leading orator of the Abolitionists and progressive Reformers of the 
age. " In Wendell Phillips the scornful world had found its match." 

Henceforth he gave himself up to the cause of reforms, and abandoned 
his legal practice. 

" The little band of Abolitionists that gathered around him and Garrison, 
men and women, were heroes." The career of the leaders of this despised 
band was, in th'vso days, often attended with danger of personal violence. 
Assassination was held up to them as the penalty of the utterance of their 
uetested truths. Phillips's house was threatened by mobs; but no threats of 
violence could prevent hira from giving expression to his sentiments. 

Far from limiting his labors to one idea, he has been a vigorous advocate 

iT^'^^'''"'^®' ^^^ ^ champion of the political rights of women. 
'A drunken people,^' he says, " can never be the basis of a free govern- 
ment. It 13 the corner-stone neither of virtue, prosperity, or pro^^ress." 

la our recent war he has always been for the most thorough measures; 
and, since Us close, seems to feel that the whole work of emancipation is 
not tuushed ; that the status of the colored man is not fixed; that the hates 
and pi-eiudu:es ot,the past incline to keep him an outcast. 

Mr. Phillips 13 one of the most fluent and eloquent orators of the dav 
and his fame always brought him a large and attentive audience even on 
the unpopular subjects he had most at heart. 



203. EEUBEN E FEXTON. 

IlEUEEN E. Fenton was born in Carroll, Chautauqno County, No-w- 
York, July 1, 1^19. He was educated at Pleasant Hill andFredonia Acade- 
mies, and adopted the profession of the law, but soon abandoned its prac- 
tice, to engage in mercantile pursuits, and in which he was eminently 
successful. 

In 1843 he was elected Supervisor of the town of Carroll ; and held 
that position for eight successivo years, and was for three of them Chair- 
man of tho F-oard of Supervisors. Tho fact that an avowed Democrat, an 
ho was then, remained in olIic« for such a low* period in a stron;^ Whig lo- 
cality, i.s tho most unanswerable evidence ot hi* faithfulnos;i ai ;i public offi- 
ccr, and hi.i popularity iii ;i man. In 1S53 ho Avm elected a KepreMontativo 
from New York to tho Thirty-Third Congress, and was again elected to 
the Thirty-Fifth Congress, serving on th.) Committee on Frivato Lind 
Claims. In 1859 hi wa* re-elected to th j Thirty-Sixth Cong ess, serving 
a;; Chairman of the Committeo on Invalid Fensions. He wa^j also elected to 
tho Thirty -Seventh Congress, serving as Chairman of the Committee on 
Claims, and re-elected to the Thirty -Eighth Congress, when he served on 
tho Committeo of Ways and Means. 

Having distinguished himself for liigh executive ability, as Chairman of 
the Congressional Committees, and for integrity of character, and devoted 
patriotism, he was selected by tho Fepublicu party as their standard-bearer 
in the State of New York, and elected Governor of that State. 

Fully realizing the anticipation:! ot tho patriotic men of the State, ho 
was re-elected in ISGO. Wit'i amplo experience as a legislator — a successful 
merchant, like his predecessor, Edwin D. Morgan — Goverma* Fenton brought 
to the administration of tlij (iubernatorial ofdce, great practical knowledge 
of men and business, and executiva ability. 

At the Republican Convention which met at Chicago, May, 18G8, hi;? 
name was prominent as a candidate for the second of&ce in the gift of thii 
people, the delegation from New York sustaining their favorite son until tlio 
fifth ballot, when > huyler Colfax received the unanimous nomination for 
Vice-Fresident. 

Tho position of Governor of the Empire State of the Union, is one now 
of as much administj-ative importance as was once tliat of Fret^ident of tho 
United States. To fill this position with honor, if not always with cntiro 
satisfaction, is a task which requires experience, ability, and firmness. 
Bringing to tho disciiarge of his official duties those qualities, Governor 
Fenton retired from the Gubernatorial chair with the approval of the pub- 
lic voice. 

Still in the prime of life and a gentleman of active habits, Mr. Fenton's 
public career is far from being closed, and bids fair of attaining a yet 
more distinguished future as United States Senator, to which position he 
was elected January 19, 1SG3. 



204. ALEXANDER EAMSEY. 

A.LEXANDEII Ramsey -was born in Dauphin County, near Harrisbui'g", 
Pc;in><ylvani;i, September 8, 1815. .He was educated at Lifayette CoUeg-e, 
ami was Clerk in the office of the Register of his native county, in 18o8. 

In 1840 he was appointed Secretary of the Electoi-al College of Peunsyl- 
va;^ia ; and, in 1841, was elected Clerk of the House of Representatives of 
that State. He was elected a Representative to Congress in 1848, and re- 
elected in 1845. 

He succeeded to the Chairmanship of the State Central Committee of 
Pennsylvania, in 1848, and was appointed, in 1849, by President Taylor, the 
first Territorial Govt-rnur of Minnesota, serving in that capacity with a great 
deal of credit to himself, and benefit to the country, until 185-j. Pie effected 
a tre;ity at Mendi.ta, in 1849, for the extinction of the title of the Sioux 
(half-bi-eeds) to the lands on Lake Pepin. 

In 1851 Governor Ramsey negotiated another treaty with the Sioux 
nation, by which the Government acquired all the lands in Minnesota west 
of the Mississippi River. This achievement, without a bloody Indian war, 
opened that State to the large emigration which now peoples 't, and makes 
it one of the most promising and prosperous of the great Northwest. 
Added to tliese, Governor Ramsey made a treaty with the Chippewa 
Indians, on Red River, which he followed up with another, in 18G8. 

He was elected Mayor of the city of St. Paul, in 1855 ; and, in 18G0, was 
elected Governor of the State of Minnesota, which had been admitted into 
the Union as a State in 1858. 

He continued in the official positioii of Governor until 18G3, when he was 
elected to the United States Senate, for the term ending 18G9, and served 
on the Committee on Naval Affairs, Post-0 ffices, Post-Roads, Patents and 
the Patent-Office, Expenses in the Senate, Pacific Railroad, and as Chairman 
of the Commifctoe on Revolutionary Pensions, and of the Committee on 
Revolutionary Claims. 

Governor Ramsey was also a member of the National Committee 
appointed to accompany the remains of President Lincoln to Illinois. 

Fortunate in being the first Governor of Minnesota, Mr. Ramsey was 
enabled to promote j udiciously the welfare of the people of that Territory 
and State, the interests of the Government, and advance his own h(morable 
career. Acting honestly and wisely with the Indians, he effected numer- 
ous treaties, which averted the too frequent and bloody Indian wars, and 
contributed to the mutual benefit of the two races. 



205. GEOEGE H. PENDLETON. 

Georgk H. Pendleton was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, July 19, 1825. 
He studied law, was admitted to the bar, and has become distinguished in 
his profession. His political career commenced by his election to the State 
Senate of Ohio in 1854 and 1855. 

In 1856 he was elected Representative to Congress from Ohio, and served 
successively in the Thirty-Fifth, Thirty-Sixth, and Thirty-Seventh Con- 
gresses, and was a member of the Committee on Military Affairs during 
each term. He was re-elected to the Thirty-Eighth Congress, serving on the 
Committee of Ways and Means, and as Chairman of the Committee for 
Admitting Cabinet Officers to the Floor of the House of Representatives. 

Identifying himself during his last term in Congress with the Anti-War 
Democrats, Mr. Pendleton became prominent for the boldness of his senti- 
ments against the policy of the Administration in conducting the war, 
though few who knew his honorable character doubted his patriotism. 

He was nominated for the Vice-Presidency in 18(14 on the Democratic 
ticket, with General McClellan for President, and was defeated. But this 
did not damp the ardor or shake the faith of his friends, who brought his 
name forward for the Presidency in 18G8. 

Defeated in his nomination, when the whole Western delegation urged 
it, he submitted with good grace, and went to work strenuously to assist in 
the election of his most formidable rival, Horatio Seymour ; but, although 
his popularity was unbounded in the West, ho could not stem the tide that 
had set in against the principles of the Democratic party, and Seymour was 
defeated in all the Western States, except Kentucky and Oregon. 

Eloquent, popular, and young, Mr. Pendleton is an admirable representa- 
tive of the Northwest in its truest and frankest sense. Blending much of 
the Southern ardor, the land of his forefathers, with W^estern independence, 
he combines those elements of character which makes a man irresistible in 
the free Western country. 

Mr. Pendleton has been brought more prominently before the country by 
the discussions of the financial question. Favoring the payment of the 
Government bonds in '* greenbacks," that phase of the financial question 
received new significance from his fearless advocacy of it. 

Frank and bold in whatever public measure he advocates, he vindi- 
cated his policy in this respect upon grounds of pubUc necessity, and maintained 
that it was in accordance with the contract between the parties and the strictest 
principles of honesty and honor; and it soon came to be designated as the Pen- 
(iletonian policy, though the same views were advocated by other prominent pub- 
lic men of both parties. 

His policy was thoroughly ventilated during the Presidential canvass, 
and stigmatized by its opponents, some of whom were counted among the 
greatest financial minds of the country, as tending to repudiation and want 
of faith in the Govemment to fulfill its obligations. 



206. HANNIBAL HAMLIN. 

Hannibal Hamlin, Vice-President of the United States during the 
first term of President Lincoln's administration, ivus born in Paris, Oxford 
County, Maine, Au<2rust 27, 3809. Like many of our noted public men, he 
■was the son of a farmer, and prepared himself for a colle.giate education; 
but the death of liis father obliyed him to take charge of his farm, "v\'here he 
remained until he was of age. 

Following a career frequently adopted by aspiring young men in this 
country, Hamlin took to the calling of a printer, and^ spent a year in a 
printinV office as a Compositor. Then, with an eye still bent on advance- 
ment, he studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1833, continuing in 
active practice until 1848. 

Mr. Hamlin was a Member of the Maine Legislature from 183G to 1840, 
and, for the three latter years, was Speaker of the House. He was elected to 
the United States House of Representatives in 1843, and re-elected in 1845. 
He was again elected a Member of the State Legislature in 1847. In May, 
1848, he was elected to the Senate of the United States for four years, to fill 
a vacancy occasioned by the decease of John Fairfield, and was re-elected 
for six years, in 1851. 

January, 1857, he was elected Governor of the State of Maine, resigning 
his seat in the Senate, and being inaugurated on the same day. On the 
IGth of the same month, he was re-elected to the United States Senate 
for six years, and resigned the office of Governor, February 20, 1857. 

While in the Senate, he served as a member of the Committee on Com- 
merce, and the Committee on the District of Columbia. 

In 18G0, at the Kepublican Convention which met at Chicago, he was 
nominated as candidate for Vice-President, on the ticket with Abraham 
Lincoln, and was elected. He presided over the Senate for four years with 
marked ability and impartiality ; but the asperity of party feeling was 
exhibited with extreme bitterness toward h'm, and the foulest abuse was 
heaped upon his name and character, animated, however, always by the 
inspirations of treason. Mr. Hamlin never sacrificed the dignity of his 
position by the slightest notice of these absurd calumnies. There are 
thousands throughout the country who profoundly feel that it was a dark 
day for the Republic when a convention, largely composed of, or inspired 
by, office-holders and contractors, decreed his -displacement as Vice-Presi- 
dent, to make room for Andrew Johnson, and who would like to see some 
reparation made for that grave error.* 

A.ftcr retiring from the office of Vice-President, Mr. Hamlin was 
appointed Collector for the port of Boston, the most desirable post in New 
England ; but, when Andrew Johnson commenced his course on the recon- 
struction of the seceding States, instituting a iiolicy in antagonism to Con- 
gress, and the party which elected him, Mr. Hamlin resigned his office, and 
took the stump for liberty and loyalty, and has done yeoman service in 
the ranks ever since. Having filled every post in the gift of his fellow- 
citizens, from State Representative to Vice-President, ho'may be averse to 
further labor and responsibility ; but his integrity, fidelity, experience, and 
well-earned popularity, render it highly probable that he may bo invited to 

fdl some important post again in the public service. " ~ 

He was agam elected to the Senate of the United States in 1868, to fill a va- 
cancy occasioned by the death of William P. Fessenden. 

* Mr. Hamlin declines to indorse this statement of party feeling as correct. 



207. MONTGOMEEY BLAIR 

Montgomery Blair, son of Francis P. Blair, Sr., the famous editor, and 
brother of Francis P. Blair, Jr., late candidate for Vice-President, was born 
in Franklin County, Kentucky, May 10, 1813. 

He graduated at West Point Military Academy in 1835, and was 
appointed Second laeutenant in the Second Artillery, in .which capacity he 
served in the Florida War. Resigning on May 20, 1830, he studied law, 
and was admitted to practice in St. Louis, Mo., in 1837. 

In 1S39 he was appointed United States District- Attorney for Missouri, 
and held tliat posiiioii until 1848, wliea he was appointed Judge of the Court of 
Common Pleas. He coutinned to officiate in this position until 1849, when he 
resigned, and, in 1862, removed to Maryland, where he was residing when ap- 
pointed, by President Lincoln, Postmaster-General, in March, 1861. 

He was a Democrat previous to the repeal of the Missouri Compromise; 
but, after the consummation of that measure, he identified himself with the 
Republican party, with which organization he became a prominent member. 
He was appointed by President Pierce to the ofHce of Solicitor to the Court 
of claims, aUliough an avowed opponent oi his Kansas policy; but, on account of 
his change in political sentiment, was removed by President Buchanan. He pre- 
sided over the Republican State Convention in Maryland in 1860, and was a dele- 
gate to the Chicaj^o Convention, where he took an active part in securing the Re- 
pubUcan nomination for Mr. Lincoln for President of the United States. 

He gave his earnest support to the first election of Abraham Lincoln, 
and in the formation of his Cabinet was tendered a place in it as Postmas- 
ter-General, which he accepted. This position he continued to hold until 
1864, when he resigned. 

He was very active in securing the renomination and election of Mr. Lincoln 
in 1 864. But, differing with the Republican party on the reconstruction measures, 
he became an ardent Democrat, advocating strenuously the election of Seymour 
and Blair to the Presidency and Vice-Presidency. 

Mr. Blair's name was made prominent to the country as Counsel for the 
plaintiff in the celebrated Dred Scott litigation ; and the active part he took 
in the late canvass as brother of the candidate for Vice-President, not only 
brought himself, but all the members of the Blair family mova conspicuously 
before the country. The founder of it, Francis P. Blair, Sr., the most 
famous political journalist of his day, lived to an advanced age, to see his 
eldest son a prominent politician and Cabinent Minister, and his younsrest 
son an aspirant and candidate for the Vice-Presidency, a Member of Con- 
gress, and a distinguished officer of the army. 



p«^ 



208. JAMES GOEDON BENNETT. 

JAiiES Gordon Bennett, the celebrated Editor of The New York 
Herald, was bom near the town of Keith, Banffshire, Scotland, in Septem- 
ber, 1795. The son of sincere Catholic, his father intended him and another 
brother Cosmo, for the priesthood, and educated them for that vocation. 
Cosmo, qualified for the Church, held an ecclesiastical office up to the time 
of his decease. James, with ambition and energy directed to a more active 
career, soug-ht the pursuit of journalism and letters in America. 

With this object in view he came to this country, and landed at Halifax, 
N. S., in 1819. His good education qualified him for the position of a 
School-Teacher; but this occupation was too limited for his energy and 
ambition, and he abandoned it for the more congenial vocation of journalism. 
Settling for a while in Boston, he became connected with the press; but, the 
field of journalism not offering great inducements for him to remain in that 
city, he removed to New York. Here he became prominently connected 
with the press. 

Inducements having been held out to him by the proprietor of the 
Charleston Courier, to connect himself with that journal, Mr. Bennett 
removed to Charleston, S. C, where he remained for two years. Returning to 
New York, where his perception and judgment inspired him to lay the 
foundation of a powerfiil journal, he connected himself with variovis papers 
before he established The New York Herald. This he started in 1835. 

As a city goes through many gradations before it is established, so it 
was with the building up of The Neio York Herald; but its completion 
proves, not only as a monument of the enterprise, energy, and talents of 
James Gordon Bennett, biit also as a triumph of journalism in the nineteenth 
century. Our space is too limited to attempt an analysis, even, of the genius, 
enterprise, and liberality which were necessary to be expended in the estab- 
lishment and growth of such a journal. 

In a profession which unites relentless rivalry and daily partisan and 
professional jealousy, more than in any other, it is conceded, in spite of it, 
that Mr. Bennett has infused more entei'prise into the American press, and, 
fur that matter, has furnished an example of energy to the European press, 
which no other journalist of his age has inspii^ed. Associating with him 
the best journalistic talent in the country in the reportorial, editorial, and 
corresponding departments, the Herald becomes a daily index of the active 
brain, vitality, and movements of the world. With all this diversity of 
talent, comprising so many departments of mind, there is one controlling 
intellect over all, and that 'is James Gordon Bennett. What Richelieu was 
to the State, he is to the management of the Herald. What the elder 
Rothschild was in building up a great financial power, James Gordon Bennett 
is in building up a great journalistic power. 

The progress in the mechanical branch of printing has been observed by 
the Herald in an equal ratio with its intellectual advancement. The mag- 
nificent marble structure at the corner of Broadway and Ann street is one 
of the most thorough and extensive i^rinting offices in the world. 



209. PHINEAS T. BAI?XUM. 

"PriiNEAS T. Baknum was born in Danbury, Connecticut, July 5, 18tQ 
Mr. Barnum is literally a self-made man. On the death of his father in 
l>i2C), he found himself vvdthout a cent, and compelled to struggle alone 
throug-li the world. 

He commenced life as a clerk in a country store, and married when nine- 
teen years of age. lie published a newspaper in his native town, where he 
was fined and imprisoned for publishing his own opinions too freely. After- 
ward ho tried mercantile business on his own account, in both Connecticut 
and New York, with indifferent success. 

In 1835 he became engaged in a strolling exhibition ; afterward in a 
circus ; and, in 1842, bought the American Museum in New York. This 
establishment began to thrive immensely under his management. In 1843 
he picked up Gener.il Tom Thumb, whom he exhibited in his museum for 
a year, when he took him to Europe, where he remained three years, appear- 
ing before all the principal courts and monarchs of the old world, and 
returned with a fortune to his native countr3^ 

In 1850 he engaged Jenny Lind, the celebrated songstress ; and, with her, 
"made the most triumphant and successful musical tour ever known, clearing 
some five hundred thousand dollars in nine months, after paying that lady 
three hundred thousand dollars. Mi*. Barnum built a magniticent oriental 
villa, called " Iranistan," in Bridgeport, Conn., where he resided until it was 
burned in 1855. 

Mr. Barnum was connected with the Jerome Clock Company, in which 
he became involved to a large amount, bringing him to the verge of bank- 
ruptcy, but, after considerable litigation, he was enabled to settle with his 
creditors, leaving him yet apparently rich. He still continued to carry on 
the mu.seum, occasionally traveling through the country with some "special 
exhibition," such as " The Baby Show," Tom Thumb, «S:c. While in Boston, 
exhibiting his White Babies, a counter exhibition was had of Colored Babies, 
to test the nataral ability or intelligence of the races. The 'palni was carried 
by the colored babies — there being one who could talk when three months 
old, and another Avho could read when only three years old. Mr. Barnum 
could not brook being outdone, therefore got up an opposition " Colored 
Baby Show ;" but, not being so j)opular with the colored people as his oppo- 
nent, together with their /mr to trustiheir children with him, he was obliged 
to abandon it. 

In 18(15 he lost his museum by fire, but sold his lease of the ground 
to the editor of the Herald, James G. Bennett, who built a magnificent mar- 
ble edifice in its place. Mr. Barnum then started a temporary museum on 
Broadway, which was burned in the winter of 18o7-'GS. 

In 18G7 he was a candidate for Representative to Congress from his dis- 
trict in Connecticut, but was unsuccessful. Mr. Barnum, by common con- 
sent, ranks as one of the most expert and successful " showmen " of this or 
any other age. His name and fame as a shrewd and successful business 
man in this line are world-wide. Apart from this peculiar and striking 
trait, his industry, enterprise, and energy, while enabling him to amuse, 
instruct, and hoax mankind, secured to him a fortune and presented to the 
rising pfdplilation an example worthy of regard and admiration-. 



210. JOHN W. FOENEY. 

Jonx "VV. Forney was born at Lancaster, Pennsylvania, September 30, 
1817. In 18;33 he was an apprentice in the office of the Lancaster Journal', 
and, in 1837, we find him joint Editor and proprietor of the Lancaster Intel- 
ligencer. 

Taking- a leading- position as a Democratic partisan, he settled, in 1845, 
in Philadelphia, in the Editorship of Jhe Fennsi/kaman. In 1851 he was 
chosen Clerk of the United States House of EepresentatiA'es, and was re- 
el cted in l8o3. 

In the long -and close contest for Speaker of the Thirty-Fifth Congress, 
Mr. Forney gained great credit for the impartial performance of his duties. 
He n )\v ceased his connection with 7' he Pennsyli'anian, and became Editor 
of T'liG Union, the Democratic organ at Washington. 

In ISoG Mr, Forney devoted himself to the canvass for Mr. Buchanan; 
and, returning to Pennsylvania, was chosen Chairman of the Democratic 
State Committee. 

In 1857 he was the rival of Mr. Cameron for the position of United States 
Senator, but was defeated. In the same year he commenced the publication 
of The IVcss, an independent Democratic paper ; but in a shorl^ time there- 
after, the divi^ian between the Northern and Southern sections of the party 
assuming a very serious character, Mr. Forney took sides warmly with 
Mr. Douglas. When the Kansas troubles developed themselves, he took a 
determined attitude against Mr. Buc-luinan's administration, and was again 
chosen Clerk of the House of Kepresentatives in the Thirty-Sixth Congress. 
His opposition to the pro-sl;ivery power lias since been thorou(_;hly uncom- 
promising; and he now pubiishe^, besides The Pr^'SS at Philadelphia, a 
weekly paper in Washington, The Chronicle, began in Ocrober, 1802. 

In 18GI Mr. Forney was chosen Secretary of the Senate, which position 
he has continued to hold up to this time. 

Ever since the assassination of President Lincoln, and the accession of 
Mr. Johnson, as his successor, he has rendered himself veiy conspicuous 
as an opponent of the Johnsonian 'policy, provoking a very un-Presidential 
epithet from that high functionary, in one of the numerous addresses 
which his Excellency has been iii the habit of "getting off," at homo and 
abroad, who designated him as a " Dead Duck." Late events, however, indi- 
cate that Mr. Forney "still lives" unhnrmed ; but, since the smoke has cleared 
away, his opponent has been found crippled for life, from the explosion of 
the overcharged blunderbuss with which he was celebrating that event. 

During the Presidential canvass of 1808, Mr. Forney was quite -jirom- 
inently und actively engaged in the State of Pennsylvania, and contributed 
mufh toward securing that State to the Bepubliciin party in the October 
election, and to General Grant, for President, in the November following. 



211. CHAELES F. ADAMS. 

Charles F. Adams was born in Boston, Massachusetts, Augrust 18, 
1807. He spent most of his early years in St. Tetersburg- and London, 
whilst his father, John Quincy Adams, was Minister to Russia and Eng- 
land. He graduated at Harvard University in lb25, studied lav/, and was 
admitted to the bar in 1828. 

Entering public life in 1841, he served three years in the House of Represen- 
tatives and two in the Senate ot Massachusetts. Not satisfieii with the course of 
the VViiig party on the Slave Quest.io:i, he declined to serve longer, and, lor a time 
bec:ime tlie editor of a paper called the J^ostoii Whi(/, as an organ of bolder opin- 
ions on tiiat subject. This led to his election as a delegate to the Buffalo Free 
Soil Convention, in 1848, over which he presided, and to his nomination by that 
body as a candidate for Vice-Pre?ident on the ticket with Mr. Van Buren. He 
was elected to the Thirty-sixth Congress from Massachusetts, and served as an ac 
tive member of the connnittee of thirty-three, to which the whole subject of Se- 
cession, the preliminary step to the rebellion, was referred. He made but a single 
speech in each session, and each was confined to the discussion of that question. 

lie was for many years a contributor to the Xorth American Review^ was the 
editor of the well-known Achuns Letters^ and the author of the greater portion 
of the standard biography of John Adams, commenced by his father. 

He was re-elected to the Thirty-seventh Congress, and was subsequently, 
in 18G1, appointed by President Lincoln Minister to England, which position 
he resigned in 1808. 

Early initiated into diplomatic training under the experienced tuition 
of his distinguished father, no position could have more appropriately 
crowned Mr. Adams's public life than Minister to the Court of St. James at 
the most critical period of our diplomatic history since the Revolution. The 
foreign courts, supposed to be prepossessed in favor of the seceding States, 
an American Minister abroad at that time had to exercise more than ordi- 
nary energy and vigilance to counteract the agents and commissioners of 
the South, as well as the sympathy of the court. More than any other 
similarly situated, Mr. A.dams had to contend against these combined 
influences. The fitting out of Confederate cruisers by English shipbuilders, 
involving the neutrality of the British Covernment, previously declared as 
betAveen the North and the South, led to the most serious controversies, 
threatening the peace of the two countries. Growing out of these, the 
Alabama claims loomed up the most threatening. Correspondence after 
correspondence ensued. Questions of international law, the rights of bel- 
ligerents, and the duties of neutrals, all were involved ; and throughout all 
these controversies, sometimes in spite of diplomatic deoorvim, an acrimoni- 
ous spirit pervading them, Mr. Adams conducted his cause with masterly 
and dignified diplomatic ability. 

Leaving the most serious question in a fair way of adjustment, Mr. 
Adams asked, after a proh^iged residence at the English Court, to be 
relieved, which was, accordingly, granted ; and in 18G8, he returned to the 
L'nited States. 

Added to his public honors. Mr. Adams lias had conferred upon him the 
degree of LL. D. by Harvard University. ~ 



/ i- 



212. WILLIAM LLOYD GAREISON. 

■\Yii.LiAM Lloyd Gakkisox, the most eminent and fearless leader of 
the anti-slavery reform in the United States, was born in Newburyport, 
Massachusetts, December 12, 1S04. His mother, becoming a widow, was 
obliged to place him in a situation of usefulness, and he was, at the early 
a.q'e of nine years, sent to learn the trade of a shoemaker ; but, longing for 
educational advantages, he was sent to school at Newburyport, Mass., paying 
for his board and school by his own labors out of school hours. After several 
experiments he found a congenial occupation, as a printer, in the office of a 
local newspaper ; and, at this early age, he was distinguished for his neat- 
ness and accuracy of penmanship, and ever after remarkable for his talents, 
both as a typographer and free and easy writer. 

After sufficient experience as an assistant, he became, in 182G, the editor 
of a paper called the Free Press. He toiled with unceasing energy and 
industry, and frequently printed his editorials without previously writing 
them. 

Ho went to Boston, and, about 1827, became editor of T lie National PJiil- 
anthropist, the first journal that advocated total abstinence, and, in 1828, 
joined a friend at Bennington, Vt., in a journal devoted to Peace, Temper- 
ance, and Anti-Slavery. 

On the 4th of July, 1829, he delivered an address in Park-Street Church, 
Boston, on the subject of slavery. From this time his labors in the cause 
to which he has devoted his life, assumed a more i^rominent and influ- 
ential character, 

Mr. Garrison then went to Baltimore, to join a quiet, persistent, worthy 
Quaker, Benjamin Lundy, who was laboring for the cause. 

Garrison's burning denunciations of the outrages of slavery roused the 
indignation of slaveholders, and he was indicted for libel, found guilty, con- 
demned, and imprisoned. He bore his cross with the cheei'f ulness of a true 
martyr, unt il ho Avas finally liberated by a well-known philanthropist of the 
day, Arthur Tappan, a New York merchant, who paid the fine. 

On the 1st of January, 1831, Mr. Garrison issued the first number of 
The Liberator, which, through over thirty years, was the leading organ of 
the Anti-Slavery party in the country. 

It is beyond the limits of this brief sketch to trace the various labors 
and trials of the great reform of which Mr. Garrison was the dauntless 
leader ; the mob in Boston, where his life was only saved by the author- 
ities hiding him in a prison ; the furious violence in New York, where 
cliurchcs were sacked and negroes murdered ; the fierce and brutal ruffian- 
ism which exhibited itself in various country places where he lectured, and, 
as late as 1851, came near desolating the city of New York with blood and 
rapine, because a steadfast band of quiet Quakers and others from the 
country chose to protest against slaveholding. 

_ Sulfice it to say that, after the awful retribution had seared the land 
with lire and bloud, and liberated the slave, Mr. Garrison finished his toils 
as tlio " Libcratox'," by discontinuing his paper and visiting Europe, to 
recruit, at sixty years, the health impaired by more than an ago of faithful 
devotion to the cause of human emancipation. 



213. JOHN T. HOFFMAN. 

John T. Hoffman was born in the village of Sing Smg, New Yori, 
January 10, 1828. He graduated with distinguished honors Irom the Col- 
lege of Schenectady in 1840, studied law, and was admitted to the bar 
in January, 1849. 

He removed to New Yoi'k city in October of the same year, and rapidly 
rose in his profession, acquiring an extensive practice. 

Connecting himself with Tammany Hall in 1854, he became eminently 
successful, for so young a man, in gaining rapid promotion both in his pro- 
fession and politics. 

In 18G0 he was elected Recorder of the city of New York, and adminis- 
iered justice with firmness, and rendered himself particularly conspicuous 
i"or the rigid manner in which he sentenced the July rioters of 1803. He 
Was unanimously re-elected to that position in November, 1803, receiving 
the vote of the Ilcpublican party as well as the Democratic. 

He was elected Mayor of New York City in 1805, and re-elected in 1867. 

In 1806 he was nominated for Governor by the Democratic party, but 
was defeated by Mr. Fenton. He was again a candidate for Governor in 
1868, was elected and was inaugurated on the Isf of January, 1869. He was 
nominated for the third tune for Governor, in 1870, by the Democratic party, and 
again elected. 

Scarcely at what is called middle age, John T. HofiPman, after an honor- 
able and successful professional career, has filled the highest judicial and 
municipal positions with distinction and ability, and now occupies the first 
and most exalted office in the gift of the people of the State. 

Judging from the record of his past political and private life, the public 
have a guarantee of his future ability and fidelity in the discharge of his 
important trust. Arriving at the highest honors through the combinations 
of political power more or less subject to suspicion. Governor Hoftinan is a 
remarkable instance of a public man who has passed through all these 
ordeals with his honor unsullied and his integrity untarnished. Surrounded 
by temptations, both social and political, which have wrecked so many pub- 
lic men of promise, and even those who have gained the full fruition of their 
hopes, Governor Hoffman stands an example of personal dignity in all the 
relations of life. Yet his election as Governor wns aided by the most 
stupendous frauds upon the polls through the lax naturalization and regis- 
tration laws of the State.* 

The highest honors of the State having been conferred upon him, his 
friends do not despair of even higher distinction crowning his career. The 
representative of a party that has had to contend of late against disastrous 
defeats in other States, his name, the watchword of success, may be hailed 
as an inspiration to triumph in future political contests. 

* Governor Hoffraan says this " statement in relation to his election is not true.'" 



f ^ 



214. GIDEOX WELLES. 



Gideon Welles was born in Glastcnbury, Connecticut, February 1, 
1803, and descended from Thomas Welles, un early Governor of the colony 
of Connecticut. He received his early education at the Episcopal Academy 
in Cheshire, Connecticut, and afterward entered the Norwich University, 
Vermont, then under the charge of Captain Alden Partridge. 

He commenced the study of the law in the oifice of Chief-Justice Wil- 
liams; and, in l^^O, became Editor of the Hartford Tunes, which, under his 
charL'-e, was the organ of the Democratic party in the State. 

His journal was the first to advocate the election of General Jackson to 
tlie rrcsidency, and continued his steadfast supporter. Mr. Welles was a 
Member of the Connecticut Legislature from 1827 to 18o5, when he was 
appointed Comptroller of Public Accounts. He was opposed to the exclu- 
sion of witnesses who denied the belief in a future state of rewards and 
punishments, and endeavored for years, and with final success, to abolish 
imprisonment for debt. He also instituted other measures of liberal l3rog- 
ress. 

In 183G he was appointed Postmaster at Hartford, holding that office 
until 1841. 

In 1843 he was again elected State Comptroller; and, in 184G, President 
Polk tendered to him the office of Chief of one of the bureaus of the Navy 
Department, which he accepted, and retained that position until 1849. 

Mr. Welles was opposed to the extension of slavery ; and, on the organi- 
zation of the Republican party, in 1855, he became identified with it, and 
Avas its candidate for Governor of Connecticut in 185G. He was Chairman 
of the Republican delegation, which met in Convention at Chicago, in May, 
1300, and nominated Abraham Lincoln for President. Mr. Welles has 
been a contributor, for many years, to numerous leading journals, and 
was proinincTitly known throughout the country; and Avhen Mr. Lincoln 
was iniugur ted, in 18G1, he appointed him Secretaiy of the Navy. His 
long and arduous services in that trying position are too well known to 
requii-e detail lifrc, but will occupy an important place in history. Few 
statesmen liavo survived the fierce torrent of obloquy which has been poured 
upon the head of the Secretary of the Navy, ♦' from the loud roar of foaming 
calumny, to the low whisper of the paltry few." 

His policy has not only elevated the national character with the brilliant 
career of our naval heroes, but has tended to strengthen the bonds of amity 
and respect among all the civilized nations of the earth. 

During his administration, turretted iron-clad vessels and heavy ordnance 
were first introduced ; and no greater compliment can be paid to his judgement 
and foresight in adopting them than the simple fact that nearly all ilie maritime 
nations of the worhJ now consider them essential parts of an efficient fighting navy. 
Add to this the marvelous increase of the naval force from 69 vessels and 7,600 
inrn, in 1861, to 671 vessels and 51,000 men at the close of the "ar, and' the 
successful advancement of a blockade of more than three thousand five hundred 
iiiihs of coast, as well as the more direct and legitimate war service, and there is 
a recDid of wliich the country as well as himself may be justly proud. The calm 
]iid;iineiit of Mr. Welles, his decision of character, arid equanimity of temper, with 
I'ls q.nc-t frankness, were appreciated by each of the Presidents with whom he was 
as-cKiated, and whose confidence he enjoyed through a stormy period of our historv. 

Ihe same qiialities, with a correct and discrimin;iting mind, enabled him to 
make tortunate selections in the civil and naval appointments, and rendered his 
iMmuustiation of the Navy Department, extending through a period of eight years 
loM-er tlian tliat of any of bis predecessors, and in the most trying time since 
luc lounciatioQ of the Government, popular in the scrrice and highly satisfactory 
10 the country. " 



215. WILLIAM P. FESSENDEN. 

William i'. Fessenden was born in Boscawon, Merrimack Conntj, 
New Hampshire, October 16, 1800. He graduated at Bowdoin College in 
1823. studied law, and commenced its practice in 1827. He removed to 
Portland in 1820; and, in 1830, was electel to the State Legislature. 
Although the youngest member of that body, he acquired distinction as a 
ready debater and "skillful legislator, distinguishing himself particularly 
in a debate on the United States Bank, which was remarkable for its spirit 
and ability. 

Devoting himself, from 1832 to 1837, exclusively to his profession, he 
rapidly rose to the first rank, both as a counselor and advocate. His prom- 
inence directed public attention to him for Congress, and in 1838 he was 
invited to become a candidate, but declined. He was again chosen to the 
Leirislature from Portland, in 1S3D, was placed upon the Judiciary Commit- 
tee^ and was made Chairman of the House Committee to llovise the Statutes 
oi the State. 

Nominated, in 1840, as the Whig candidate for Congress, he was elected 
by acclamation. Participating in the general debates, ho made speech ts on 
the Loan bill. Bankrupt Act, Army Appropriation bill, against the repeal 
of the Bankrupt law, iicc. Nominated for re-election in 1843, he declined, 
but received the support of the Whig party for a seat in the United States 
Senate. 

In 1845 and 184G he was again elected to the Legislature, and, in 1850 
he was again elected to Congress ; but, through an error in the returns, his 
seat was successfully contested by his competitor. He was a Member of the 
Convention which nominated General Harrison, in 1840 ; also, of tliat which 
nominated General Taylor, in 1848, on which occasion he advocated the 
claims of Mr \Vebster, and served in the Convention which nominated Gen- 
eral Scott, in 1852. On this occasion he opposed Mr. AVebster, in favor of 
General bcott. 

In 1853 he was again elected to the State Legislature, and was elected by 
the Senate as United States Senator, but failed in the Lower House by four 
votes. Again a member of the Legislature in 1854, he was elected to the 
United States Senate on the first ballot. 

The Kansas-Nebraska question entering largely into the contest, he 
was elected by a Union of the Whigs and Free Soil Democrats, He 
took his seat in the Senate, February 23, 1854 ; and, on the night of March 
3, at the time that the Nebraska bill was passed, he delivered a moet power- 
ful speech against it. This effort was regarded as a master piece of eloquence, 
and established his reputation in the Senate. Ho subsequently made 
speeches on a bill to I'rotect United States officers (1855), on our relatiojis 
with England, on the affairs of Kansas, on the President's Message of 1856, 
and on the Lecompton Constitution of 1858. A leading member of the 
Finance Committee, Mr. Fessenden has taken a conspicuous part in the 
general debates and legiJiUion of that body. 

Re-elected to the United States Senate in 1850, for six years, by a unan- 
imous vote of his party in the Legislature, without undergoing a previous 
nomination, it distinguishes his Senatorial career as the first instance of 
the kind occurring in the State. 

In 1864 he v^as appointed, by President Lincoln, Secretary of the 
Treasury, in the place of S. P. Chase, resigned, which position ho held for 
one year, when he resigned, and was again elected Senator. The degx-ee of 
LL. D. has been conferred upon Mr. Fessenden by Bowdoin and Harvard 
Colleges. He died September 8, 1869. 



21G. CAKL SCHUEZ. 

CARli SCHURZ is a native of Germany, and was born, M;irch 2, 1829, 
near Coloi^ne, on the Rhine. He received his education at liis native town 
and at the University of Bonn, from which he graduated a thorough classi- 
cal scholar. 

On the event of the revolutionar}'- agitation in 1848, he took an active 
interest, and joined in the publication of a liberal newspaper with Professor 
Kinkel. 

In 1849 an imsuccessful attempt at insurrection was made, and the two 
were obliged to flee. Joining the insurgents, Schurz became an Adjutant, 
and participated in the defense of Rutland. On the surrender of that place, 
Schurz suitercd great privations, escaped into Switzei-land, attempted to 
rescue Kinkel, who had been condemned to twenty years' imprisonment, and 
finally succcded, November C, 1850. The fugitives then escaped into Meck- 
lenburg, and thence to Bostock, and, after remaining concealed for some 
time, took passage for Leith, in Scotland. Schurz went from there to Paris, 
where he remained as Correspondent of German journals till June, 1851, 
when he Avent to London, and became employed as Teacher, till July, 1852. 

He then married, and removed to America, residing in Philadelphia a 
short time, and afterward settling at Watertown, Wis. He became known as a 
German orator in 1856, and was nominated in 1857 by the Republican State 
Convention as candidate for Lieutenant-Governor of Wisconsin, but was not 
elected. 

Mr. Schurz, having now become Americanized, made speeches in English, 
which were very popular. He established himself in the practice of the 
law at Milwaukee, where the very numerous German population offered 
him great advantages. He continued a popular orator on the Republican 
side, when, on Mr. Lincoln's election, he was appointed Minister to Spain. 

On the outbreak of the civil war, he requested to be allowed to join the 
army, but the Government required him to go to Madrid, where he remained 
till the latter part of the year, and then returned to the United States. 

He x-esigned his office as Minister, was appointed a Brigadier-General of 
Volunteers, and, on June 17, 1802, took command of a division in the corps 
of General Sigel, with which he distinguished himself at the second battle 
of Bull Run. General Schurz also commanded a division of General 
Howard's corps at the battle of Chancellorsville, which, being attacked by 
" Stonewall " Jackson, suffered heavy losses, and was overwhelmed by superior 
forces 

At the battle of Gettysburg he commanded the Eleventh Corps, while 
General Howard took a higher command. On the close of the war, General 
Schurz retired to private professional life, since when he has been heard of 
occasionally as participating in public affairs. 

He was chosen Temporary Chairman of the Republican Convention 
which met in Chicago, in May, 1808, to nominate a candidate for President, 
and made an able and eloquent address on taking the chair. He also pre- 
sented two important resolutions, which were adopted as part of the plat- 
form of principles of that Convention. 

Mr. Schurz is a Liberal in the highest sense ; and his democracy is not 
limited to party nor confined to race, but embraces universal humanity, and 
seeks the emancipation of man from the shackles of tyranny in every shape. 

On the 19th of January, 1869, Mr. Schurz was elected United States 
Senator from Missouri 



217. KOBEET M. T. HUNTER. 

RoBEKT M. T. Hunter was born April 21, 1809, in Essex County, 
Virginia ; was educated at the University of his native State, and graduated 
with distinction. He studied law with Judge Tucker, at Winchester; and, 
in 1830, was admitted to l'«»c bar. 

He was elected to the Virginia Legislature, in 1834, in which he served 
three years, and attained a high position. 

In 1837 he was elected to the United States House of Representatives, 
by the "States Rights Whigs," where he served two terms. 

On Mr. Hunter's advent to public office, financial questions of great 
importance occuj)ied the attention of Congress, and his ability in the dis- 
cussions placed him in the front rank. On the meeting of the Twenty-Sixth 
Congress, he was chosen Speaker. He was again a candidate for the Twenty- 
Eighth Congress, but was defeated. In 1844 he took an active part in the 
election of Mr. Polk, and was re-elected to Congress in 1845. At this session 
the Oregon question occu]>ied the attention of the country, and he distin- 
guished himself by a high-toned conservatism. On the Mexican question 
he advocated a vigorous prosecution of the war. The establishment of the 
Independent Treasury, the Revenue Tariff of 1846, and the Warehousing 
system, are much indebted to Mr. Hunter for their success. 

The second session of the Twcnty-Xinth Congress was marked by a 
renew:il of the Slavery agitation ; and his opposition to all the measures of 
the Free Soil party stamped his character as a leader of the Soiithern 
Democracy, and led to his elevation to the United States Senate in 1847. 
To this body he was elected for three successive terms, serving as Chairman 
of the Committee on Finance, and as a member of the Committees on the 
Library, and on the Pacific Railroad. 

Mr. Hunter was one of the ablest advocates of the policy of his section ; 
and on all the great questions agitating the countr}', whether in debate, or 
as Ciuvirman of the Finance Committee, his conduct was highly approved, 
not only by his party, but by numerous leading men in all parts of the 
United States. Bv3sides his efforts in the Senate, Mr. Hvmter distinguished 
himself by various discourses in different parts of the country. One eulogist 
says: "He adds to the scholastic learning of Everett, the cabinet genius of 
Hamilton, and the philosophic scope of Madison.'' 

In 1801 he joined his Southern friends in secession, and was expelled 
from the Senate in July of that year. He was chosen Secretary of State in 
the Southern Confederacy on the resignation of Robert Toombs, and was 
afterward a Member of the Confederate Congress. Mr. Hunter was one of 
the Commissioners appointed to confer with President Lincoln on terms of 
peace. On his return from Fortress Monroe, where the Conference had 
been held, he addressed a public meeting in Richmond, and gave vent to 
his feelixigs of indignation at the terms demanded, predicting the most dire- 
ful evils from the consequences of submission ; and, expressing real Southern, 
scorn for the " Yankee Congress," he evoked the strongest spirit of resist- 
ence. 

Since the collapse of the Rebellion, Mr. Hunter's name has been seldom 
heard at the North, for such seems to be the fate of the most prominent 
leaders, — men who figured foremost in the affairs of the nation under the 
old regime, and who filled the trump of fame during the short-lived era of 
secession, — that the historian finds it difficult to save their subsequent 
career from total oblivion. Undoubtedly, Mr. Hunter exhibited the talents 
of a istatesman ; but, on the basis of slavery, nothing could thrive. 



- 218. TEANZ SIGEL. 

General FuANZ Sigel was born in Zinsheim, in tlie Grrand Duchy of 
Baden, November 18, 1824, and was educated at the military school of 
Carlsrhue. He became Chief- Adjutant in the Baden army, in 1847, and 
■was called the best artillerist in Germany. 

In tlie Revolution of 1848, he was Commander-in-Chief of the Revolu- 
tionary army ; and, being- defeated by an immense force, mi^^rated to this 
country in 1850. He was for several months Major of the Fifth New York 
Militia Reg-iment; subsequently, Professor of Military Science at St. Louis; 
and, at the outbreak of the Rebellion, became Colonel of the Third Missouri 
Volmiteers,and Acting Brigadier under General Lyon. 

He was made a Brigadier in August, 18ol, his commission dating from 
May 17. Ho performed efficient service in the protection of St. Louis, and 
seizure of Camp Jackson. He was soon ordered to Southwest Missouri, 
where, near Carthage, Jasper County, with only nine hundred men, ho met 
General Jackson, with over four thousand men, whom he attacked with suc- 
ces^i, until his artille'-y ammunition gave out, and ho was obliged to retreat, 
which lie accomplished with but little loss, having only thirteen killed, and 
thirty-one wounded, while the Rebel loss was over three hundred and fifty. 

August 10, 18G1, he conducted the famous retreat from Wilson. Creek, 
where Lyon was killed ; and was present at the battle of Pea Ridge, where, 
on the 7th and 8th of March, 1863, he displayed great bravery and consum- 
mate artillery skill, and by which he turned the tide of battle from what 
seemed to be a defeat, to a decided victory ; for which gallantry and skill, 
he Avas made Major-General, and received a command in Western Virginia. 
He served through Pope's Virginia campaign ; took a promineiit part in 
the Second Bull Run ; and, in September, 1862, was appointed to com- 
mand the Eleventh Army Corps, but was relieved early in the following 
year. 

In the spring of 1864, he commanded in the valley of the Shenandoah; 
but having been twice badly defeated, he was relieved in M ly by General 
Hunter, yet still continuing t ) act under that General, who, being defeated 
and driven across the mountains, the enemy advanced down the valley to 
Mu-tiusburg, Hulking Sigel, and obliging him to retreat to Maryland 
Iloights, winch he held until the enemy Avero driven back to the -^alley. In 
May, 180j, he resigned his commission in the army. 



219. CHAELES G. H ALPINE. 

General Charles G. Halpine (more generally known by his noii de 
plume, Miles O'Keilly), was born in November, 1820, in the County Meath, 
Ireland. His father who was an Episcopal minister, editor of the Dublin 
Mail, and one of the principal contributors to Blackwood' 'i Magazine, took 
great pride in the education of his son, whom he prepared for and entered 
at Trinity College, in 1846. In the following year, young Halpine hav- 
ing married, removed to Boston, where he became an associate with B. P. 
Shillaber (Mrs. Partington), on one of the literary papers of that city, called 
lite Carpet Bag ; and subsequently connected himself with lJi£. Pilot. 

In 1848 he accepted the position of French Translator on the New York 
Herald] and, while holding this position, wrote sketches, poems, and edito- 
rials, for nearly all the other leading daily and weekly papers of the city. He 
was next appointed the Nicaragua Correspondent of the New York Times, 
and wrote a scries of remarkably spicy letters on "Walker's famous fillibus- 
tering expedition to Central America. After acting as Washington Corres- 
pondentsand Associate Editor of mat paper for a time, he purchased an inter- 
est in the Leader, and assisted in editing that journal until tlie breaking 
out of the llebellion; but, at the same time, wrote for the 'Trtbune, Times^ 
and Herald. 

Although not known to the world at large as a writer, yet many brilliant 
things came from his pen ; among others, a poem, published in the Tribune 
some years before the war, entitled "Stanzas to the American Flag," has 
been credited to him, but is now claimed by "William Oland Bourne, editor 
of Tlie Soldiers' Friend. It begins: "Tear down the fliunting lie" — 
a poem prompted by the horrors of the last slave hunt, in which a poor 
human being was dragged from toil-bought fi-eedom into hated bondage 
again, under the banner which waved " over the land of the free, and the 
home of the brave." 

In 1801 Mr. Halpine severed his connection with the Leader, and entered 
the military service as a private in the Sixty-Ninth New York Regiment oi 
three-months' troops. At the close of the three months' service, he was ap- 
pointed on the Staff of General David Hunter, with whom he served in 
Missouri and at the South, but was afterward transferred to the Staff of 
General Halleck. 

At the South, under the nom de guerre, " Miles O'Keilly," in a communi- 
cation to a New York paper, he gave a long and entirely liotitious account 
of the arbitrary imprisonment of a private by that n;:me, who, it was pre- 
tended, had given soma slight offence to General Butler, the cau'^e of which 
was asserted to be a " Lampoon" written by "Private Miles OTleilly," of 
the Forty-Seventh New York ; and, in his next letter, he gave a copy of the 
lamjioon, which caused great merriment wherever it was read. This first 
brought him into notoriety, which was greatly increased by his account of 
a supposed dinner given to Miles O'Reilly at Deimonico's, whereat Mayor 
Hoffman sang a comic song, and other well-known dignitaries indulged in 
ridiculous speeches. 

Just before his resignation from the army, lie was made Brigadier-Gen- 
eral of "V^alunteers, by brevet, and coraraissioued as Mijiu- in the Regular 
Army. He was appointed on Governor Seymour's s' ;ift' on his return to New 
York; and, in 18(i{j, was elected Register of the Cry and County of New 
York. Pi-evious to this, he purchased the Citizen, a weekly journal, of 
which he remained Managing Editor until his death, Monday, August 3, 
1868. General Halpine was a warm-hearted and generous companion — 
ever ready to give or take a joke, — and was a favorite with all classes of his 
readers. 



«^^ 



220. JAMES T. BHADY. 

James T. Brady, oho of the most nninent and accomplished of New- 
York lawyers, was born in the city of New York, April 9, 1815, of Irish 
parenta<re. flis addresses and orations are characterized by all the wit 
and eloquence of his gifted race. 

He received a liberal education, studied law, and was admitted to the 
bar in lSo5. Commencing its practice in New York, it gradually increased 
until it rose to be among the most lucrative and influential of the distin- 
guished lawyei'3 of the day. 

In addressing a Jury he was generally successful in gaining their entire 
coniidence and respect; and the Judges were equally influenced by his logic 
and legal acumen. 

Associate counsel of the late Daniel "Webster in the great India Rubber 
case between Day and Goodyear, he received from that eminent statesman 
and jurist the highest encomiums for the able manner in which he had 
assisted in conducting the suit. 

He early identified himself with the Democratic party ; and, about the 
year 18-45, w^as regarded as among the most influential of its active leaders 
in the city of New Y'ork. Holding the office of Counsel to the Corporation 
for several years, he retired from it with honor to himself and credit to the 
city. 

Popular and eloquent as a public speaker, Mr. Brady was constantly 
the champion of popvilar rights and philanthropical movements, and was 
always distinguished for his boldness and fearlessness in discussing 
public men and measures. Never a seeker for office, he was always 
enabled to hold an independent position either in his own party or toward 
his opponents. 

Early obtaining popularity as a public orator, Mr. Brady had the happy- 
faculty of swaying the " Fiery Democracy " either in its turbulence or 
sympathy. Gifted with this power in voice, manner, and person, the 
announcement of his name, when he took a more active part in politics, 
would fill a large hall to overflowing, and possessed the most magical in- 
fluence. 

Ever just in his convictions, his detestation of oppression did not 
leave him in sympathy with turbulence and disorder ; and, actuated by 
these principles, he was one of the most influential in suppressing the riots 
of July, 1803. 

Outside of his professional and political life, Mr. Brady was peculiarly 
amiable, and^ exceedingly fond of social enjoyments. He idolized the 
children of his sisters, and was always happy in winning the confidence 
and esteem of the little ones. 

He never married, but, like Washington Irving, cherished fondly the 
memory of one, from whom death had separated him. 

^^^ ^^ ^^^ prime of life, with a vigorous frame and a powerful intellect, 
Mr. Brady was struck wdth paralvsis ; and. after lingering a few days under 
that terrible malady, died February 9, 1869, in New York City. 



221. HENBY J. EAYMOND. 

Henry jAnvis Raymond, the founder of The New York Times, was bom 
in Lima, Livingston County, New York, January 24, 1820. The son of the 
proprietor of a small farm, he early assisted in its labors; but, while still 
young-, he entered the Academy of Lima, and in the winter of lyoS-^O, 
ibauu'ht a district school. He graduated at the University of Vermont in 
J 840, when he repaired to New York ; and, after studying lav/ for a year in 
the office of Edward W. Marsh, he maintained himself by teaching the 
classics in a young ladies' seminary and by contributions to the New York 
press. 

He was connected with the New York Tiihune upon its establishment, 
in April, 1841 ; and, in the capacity of Assistant Editor, distinguished him- 
self by great ability as a Reporter, an art then in its infancy in the United 
States. Accepting an offer from General James Watson Webb, of a position 
on the NeiD York Courier and Enquirer, he relinquished it in 1851. Some 
four years previously he had formed a literary connection with the publish- 
ing house of Harper & Brothers, which continued uninterrupted for ten 
years. 

The social doctrines of Eouricr finding at this time a zealous champion 
in Horace Greeley, Mr. Raymond entered into a prolonged and spirited 
controversy with Mr. Greeley respecting them — which controversy was sub- 
sequently published in a pamphlet edition, and attracted, from the ability 
displayed on both sides, very general public attention. 

Elected in 1849 to the State Legislature, he soon became prominent as a 
ready debater and legislator. Re-elected in 1850, he was chosen Speaker of 
the Assembly. During this session he advocated vigorously the Common 
School System and the Canal policy of the State. The adjouriiment of the 
Legislature found Mr. Raymond in impaired health, for the benefit of which 
he sailed to Europe. Returning in August, he published, September 18, 
1851, the first number of llie New York (daily) 2\mes, a journal which has 
continued to grow in public respect and confidence from the great ability 
displayed in its editorial management. 

Acting as a substitute for a regular delegate to the Whig National Con- 
vention at Baltimore in 1852, he addressed that body, against violent oppo- 
sition, in defense of Northern sentiment. 

Nominated, in 1854, by the Whig, Anti-Nebraska, and Temperance 
Conventions, he was elected, over two competitors, by a large majority, 
Lieutenant-Governor of the State, 

Taking an active part in the organization of the Republican party, 
caused by the repeal of the Missouri Compromise, he drew up the " Address 
to the People," submitted by its first National Convention, held at Pittsburg 
in February, 1856. During the Presidential canvass which followed, he 
made numerous public speeches in favor of General Fremont, its candidate. 
His term of service as Lieutenant-Governor of the State, expiring Decem- 
ber 31, 1857, Mr. Raymond declined, the same year, to be a candidate for 
the Gubernatorial office. Entering energeticiilly into the Presidential can- 
vass of 18G0, he took a prominent position both in his journal and in public 
addresses, in favor of Abraham Lincoln's election, and sustained throughout 
a zealous prosecution of the war against the seceding States. Governor 
Raymond was subsequently elected to Congress, and in that body maintained 
an influential position from his ability as a debater and an able legislator. 
A popular speaker and a practical writer, he could not fail to wield a great 
power by the combined strength of the forum and the press. He died June 18, 
1869. 



222. HIRAM WALBRIDGE. 

Hiram Walbridre was born in Ithaca, Tompkins County, State of Now York, 
February 2 1821. At an early age, after completing his primary education in 
Utica, he was sent to school in" Ithaca, N. Y., living while there with his uncle, 
Jud-'-e Walbridge. In 18o5, the family moved to Toledo, Ohio ; and Walbridge, 
theironly fourteen years old, began the study of law with Judge Tilden, of Toledo. 
His mastery of the theory of the legal profcs4on was very rapid, and at the early 
are of twenty-one, he was admitted to practice in all the Ohio courts, and soon 
after to the bar of the United States Supreme Court. 

Ill 1841, he was commissioned a brigadier-general of Ohio militia, a fact which 
explains the title of " General" ever after prefixed to his name. During the 
Mexican war he was offered a colonelcy of a volunteer regiment ; but he declined 
it, and soon after moved to New York, where he ever aftev resided. He forsook 
the profession of law for mercantile pursuits, and for many years has been iden- 
tified with the produce interests of this city. 

He was an active member of the Cliamber of Commerce and of the Produce 
Exchange in this city, in both of which institutions he was a zealous promoter 
and advocate of all schemes for the advancement of the commercial interests of 
the country. He was president of every commercial convention that has been 
held in the United States up to within the last two years, and took a deep interest 
in all kinds of internal improvements, of which he was a liberal and eloquent ad- 
vocate. 

In 1853, he was elected on the Democratic ticket to represent the Fourth Dis- 
trict of this city in Congress, and at the expiration of his term declined a renomi- 
nation. This was the oidy political office he ever held. In Congress, (General 
Walbiidge intro luced the "measure known as the " Militia of the Seas," and was 
also the first member of Congress to advocate the construe ion of the Pacific Rad- 
roaiJ, having, from a recent and extended vWit to California, become impressed with 
the importance of the Pacific coast. General Walbridge was at this time inte- 
rested in the famous Miriposa estate, and owned one-quarter of that valuable 
property. 

On the breaking out of the rebellion, General AValbridge took a prompt and 
bold stand in favor of the Union, and advocated the innnediate c:illing out of 
60*1,000 men to suppress the insurrection. He had traveled extensively in the 
Southei'U States, where he also possessed a large property interest, and was one 
of tlie lew men who foresaw at the outset the magnitude and desperate character 
of the rebellion. He was offered a seat in President Lincoln's cabinet, but de- 
clined, and spent a large share of his time, during the Avar, in advocating with 
his tongue and pen the cause of the Union, and arousing the patriotism of the 
people, particularly of the commercial classes. After the war he was among the 
earliest advocates of uyiversal amnesty. Few men had a larger personal acquain- 
tance in all sections of the country than General Walbridge, and fewer still 
had a larger personal popularity, lie was kind-hearted, affable, generous, whole- 
souled, and magnanimous. As a public speaker he was ready, earnest, and elo- 
quent, and possessed a command of language and a power and volume of voics 
Kuch as lew men are gifted with. His last service of a ])ublic nature was perform- 
ed as one of the Government Commissioners appointed to examine and report 
uijon the condition of the l^acific Railroad, and the im[)rovements needed to bring 
the road up to the government stipulations. General Ilirara Walbridge died at 
the Astor House, in New York, December G, 1870. 



223. GEOEGE B. McCLELLAN. 

General George B. McClellan was born in Pliiladelphia, December 
3, 182G. He entered the military academy at West Point in 1842, grad- 
uated in 184G, and was immediately called into active sei-vice as Second 
Lieutenant of a company of sappers and miners, which sailed for Mexico on 
the 24th of September, with orders to report to General Taylor at Camarg-o, 
by whom he was ordered to proceed to Matamoras. 

Great praise was bestowed upon him for the aniount and excellence of 
the work done in this part of Mexico. From Tampico they went to Vera 
Cruz, where Lieutenant McClellan was engaged in ihe most severe duties — 
in opening paths and roads to facilitate the investment, and lighten the toil 
and hardship of the trenches, which was always done with intelligence and 
zeal. On the 20th of August, 1847, he distinguished himself at the battle of 
Churubusco, for which he was promoted to First Lieutenant ; at Molino 
del Rey and Chapultepec, his gallantry secured him the additional rank of 
Captain by brevet. 

The following year he assumed command of the sappers and miners, 
which position ho held until 1831, in the autumn of which year he super- 
intended the building of Fort Delaware. In 1852 he was assigned to duty 
in the expedition that explored the Rt.'d River ; and also served as an Engi- 
neer upon some explorations in Texas. 

In 1853 he aided in surveying the Northern route of the Pacific Railroad, 
for which he was highly complimented by the Secretary of War, Jefferson 
Davis. Shortly after, he was sent on a secret mission to the West Indies, 
and on his return, in 1855, received a Captaincy in the United States 
Cavalry ; and, the same year, was sent, in company with Captain R. E. Lee, 
to watch the progress of the Crimean War, and perfect themselves in the 
art. 

In 1857 lie resigned, and accepted the position of Vice-President of the 
Illinois Central Railroad, which office he held for three years, when he 
accepted the Presidency of the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad. 

On the breaking out of the Rebellion, Ohio immediately made him 
Major-General of her militia, which he organized quickly and thoroughly ; 
and, on the 14th of May, was assigned to the Department of Ohio, as Major- 
General in the United States Army. Then followed his campaign in West 
Virginia, and victories of Rich Mountain and Philippi. November 1, 1861, 
he was appointed to succeed General Scott as General-in-Chief of the United 
States Armies. 

He organized the army with great abilitj'- ; but when the advance took 
place, in March, 18G2, he was restricted to the command of the Army of the 
Potomac. He first invested Yorktown, where he exhibited extraordinary 
engineering skill, and which soon fell into his hands. He subsequently con- 
ducted the campaign of the Peninsula, reaching James River on the 2d of 
July; and, in the middle of August, conducted the army back to Washingr 
ton, where, for several days, he held command of the Washington fortifica* 
tions. 

At the close of Pope's campaign, he resumed his old command, and 
fought the battle of Antietam. On November 7, he was relieved by Gen- 
eral Burnsido, He Avas the Democratic candidate for President of the United 
States in 18G4, and resigned his commission in the fall of that year. He 
has since traveled in Europe. 

Immediately on his return, in 1868, he was called upon to superintend the 
completion of the Stevens Battery, at Hoboken, N. J. ; and on the 1st of A.ugust, 
1870, he was appointed Engineer-in-Ghief iuthe Department of Docks for the city 
of ^Te\y-york, 



224. JOHN 0. FREMONT. 

General John C. Fremont was born in Savannah, Georgia, January 
21, 1813. His father was French, and his mother a Virginia lady. At 
fifteen years of age he entered Charleston College, S. C, where he made 
rapid progress, graduating at seventeen. 

For three years he was employed as Instructor in Mathematics in various 
schools in Charleston, and as Practical Surveyor. In Ib'So he was appointed 
Teacher of Mathematics on board the United States sloop-of-war JVatchez, 
and made a cruise of two years and a half in that vessel. From this time 
until 1888 he was employed as Engineer on the Charleston and Augusta 
Kailroad. In 1888 ho accompanied M. Nicollet, to explore the country 
between the Missouri and the British line, and assisted in preparing the 
maps and report of the exploration, when he was appointed Second Lieu- 
tenant, United States Topographical Engineers. 

In 1842 he applied for and obtained an order to explore the "Wind River 
Peak of the Rocky Mountains. He left the mouth of the Kansas River, 
June 10, and proceeded up the Piatt River and its tributaries to the South 
Pass, which was carefully examined. Thence he proceeded to the Wind 
River Mountains, the loftiest peak of which was ascended, and returned to 
Kansas, October 10. His report was laid before Congress in the winters of 
1842-'4o. Humboldt praised it, and the London Athenernn pronounced it 
one of the most perfect productions of its kind. He again, .n May, 1848, 
set, out with twenty-five men, to find a new route across the Rocky Moun- 
tains, and for nearly a year was lost to the world, suffering unheard-of hard- 
ships in the snow-clad mountains, planting the flag of his country upcm 
their highest peak, discovering the Great Salt Lake, Sierra Nevada, the 
valley of the Sacramento, and establishing the geography of the Western 
portion of the continent. For this service he was breveted Captain in 
1845, when he set out on his third expedition, which resulted iu giving 
California to the United States. Arriving in California, he became in- 
volved with the Mexican Governor of that State ; and, with the aid of a 
few Americans, defeated the r;Iexican forces, raised the Independent Bea<* 
Flag, and was elected Governor by the settlers, which election was 
ratified by Commodore Stockton. He was afterward made a victim of a 
quarrel between General Kearney and the Commodore, and dismissed 
the service. The President reinstated him ; but Fremont would not accept 
"mercy." He resigned his commission, returned to Califomia, making his 
h)me ou the Mariposa, and was elected its first Senator. 

In the winter of 1848 and 1853, he made, at his own expense, surveys across 
the continent, to determine questions involved in the building of the Pacific Rail- 
road. Id 1856, he was unanimously nominated as a candidate for President of the 
United States by the Republican Convention, but was d-^feated by James Buchanan. 
Being in Paris at the breaking out of the Rebellion, he jjurchased a 
quantity of arms for the United States Government with his own private 
credit, and brought them with him. Ou his arrival, a Major-General's com- 
mission awaited him, and he was assigned to the Western Military Depart- 
ment, where he arrived, July 25, 1861. He at once set vigorously to work 
organizing an army, fortifying St. Louis, and drafting plans for a Western 
campaign, lie continued in this, Department until November 2, during 
which he issued his celebrated proclamation freeing the slaves of Rebels 
within his command. 

He afterward distinguished himself in the Shenandoah valley in various 
battles with "Stonewall" Jackson; but his political i)rominenco makin^^ 
hira a victim of jealousy and intrigue, he left the servioe, Ju?ie g?, j.-SCS, 
and resigned his commission iu Mav, 18G4 



225. WILLIAM T. SHERMAN. 

General TViLLiAM T. Sherman was born in Lancaster, Ohio, in 1820; 
g-raduated at West Point, in 1840; and, in the same year, was appointed 
Second Lieutenant of the Third Artillery. He served in Californi I'during" 
the Mexican War ; was breveted Captain, in ISoO ; but, in 1853, resigned his 
commission, and engaged in business in San Francisco. 

In 1858 he became President of the Louisiana Military Academy, but 
resigned his position at the outbreak of the Rebellion. 

la June, 18G1, he was commissioned Colonel of the Thirteenth Regular 
Infantry, and was subsequently appointed Brigadier-G-eneral of Volunteers. 
He participated in the first battle of Bull Run, and in the ensuing autumn 
and winter was in Kentucky and Missouri. 

In the spring of 18o2 he commanded a division in Grant's army, and dis- 
tinguished himself at the battle of Shiloh, earning thereby his promotion 
to M ijor-Gnieral of Volunteers. He made an unsuccessful attack on 
Vicksburg in Djcembei', 1863, and took part in the subsequent campaign 
against that place under Grant. 

Being ordered by General Grant to assume command of the Department of 
Tennessee, and to march toward Chattanooga, he joined him there in November, 
and aided materially in the success of Grant's movements against Bragu in tliat 
vicinity ; after which he marclied to the relief of General Burnside at Kiioxville, 
who was besieged by General Lon<:street, compelling that general to raise the 
siege, and retreat to tlie borders of Virginia. 

Early in 1804 General Sherman conducted a successful raid through 
Southern Mississippi and Alabama, where ho made the ino>t complete de- 
struction of railroads ever performed, de-<troyed the arsenal at Meridian, which 
was fxUed with valu ible stores and machinery, and burned a large number 
of Government warehouses filled with stores and ammunition, besides 
destroying depots, bridges, and rolling stock ; after which, ho retrac(Kl his 
steps to the Mississippi, with over eight thousand liberated slaves and an 
immense amount of spoils. His whole loss in the raid was less than two 
hundred. 

In March, 1SG4, Grant, then recently appointed Lieutenant-General and 
Commander-in-Chief, turned over to Sherman the command of the Military 
Division of the Mississippi, who soon after commenced his successful cam- 
paign against Atlanta, during which he fought the series of battles from 
Chattanooga to that place, driving General J. E. Johnston before him, and 
succeeded in obliging^ Hood, who had superseded Johnston, to evacuate 
Atlanta, September 1, 18G4. 

In the succeeding November, after driving Hood into Northern Alabama, 
General Sherman commenced his triumphant march through Georgia, and 
reached Savannah, which he captured iu December. 

Thence he marched North to Goldsboro', North Carolina, near which 
place he received the surrender of General J. E. Johnston's army, April 2(J, 
1805. He was soon after appointed to the comm md of the Military Division 
of the Mississippi, and subsequently transferred to the "Western Division, 
which position he now holds. 

In June, 1^03, ho was made Lieutenant-General, Grant having been 
raised to general, and, in March, 1869, was appointed General of the Army in 
place of General Grant, who had been elected President of the United States. 



>-^ 



22G. JOSEPH E. JOHNSTON. 

General Joseph E. Johnston was born in Prince Edward County, 
Virg-iuia, about the year 1808. Great attention was paid to his early 
education, wliich he received in Abing-don dif>trict. 

In 18:3!) lie graduated at West Point with great credit, and was immedi- 
ately assigned to the Fourth Artillery as Brevet Second Lieutenant. He 
remained there until I80G, when he was appointed First Lieutenant. 

In I808 he was appointed First Lieutenant of Topographical Engineers ; 
and, in that capacity, served through the Florida War, where he greatly 
distinuMiished liimself by his coolness and bravery. 

February IG, 1847, he was breveted Lieutenant-Colonel of Voltigeurs, 
and sailed with the expedition of General Scott to Mexico, where, on the 
advance to Cerro Gordo, he made a most daring recoanoissance, and where 
lie was severely wounded. He distinguished himself at Molino del Key, 
and was again wounded at Chapultepec. 

At the close of tlie Mexican War he was retained as Captain in the Topo- 
graphical Engineers ; and, at a later date (1855), was made full Colonel in 
the Regular Army. In June, 18G0, he was placed at the head of the Quar- 
termaster's Department, with the rank of Brigadier-General. 

When Virginia seceded he felt bound to join the service of his native 
State, when he was appointed to a high command by Governor Letcher, and 
atterwai'd Avas commissioned Major-General in the Confederate army, with 
command of the Army of the Shenandoah, where he acted against Patterson, 
whom he eluded, and arrived at the first battle-field of Bull Run in season 
to turn the scale of battle against the Federals. He subsequently com- 
manded at Richmond in the early part of the Peninsular campaign, and 
was severely wounded at Fair Oaks, after which he was assigned to the 
Trans-Mississippi Department, where, in attempting to succor General Pem- 
berton at Vicksburg, he encountered General Grant at Jackson, was defeated, 
and forced to evacuate that city. 

In January, 18G4, General Johnston took command of the Army of Ten- 
nessee (General Bragg having been removed), and contested General Sher- 
man's advance into Georgia in a series of battles, among which the most 
severe were at Resaca and around Dallas, Altoona, and the Kenesaw Moun- 
tains, all of which lie conducted with great skill, but was obliged to retreat 
before the superior force of Sherman to Atlanta, Avhen he was superseded 
by General Hood, in obedience to a popular clamor against what was called 
his Fabian policy of retreat. 

From this time until February, 18G5, ho was virtually retired from the 
army, when public opinion had begun to set in strongly in favor of his 
restoration, and he was reinstated and placed in command of the forces in 
North Carolina, in place of Beauregard, who continued to serve under his 
old commander. He concentrated his forces at Raleigh, where he prepared 
to resist the advance of Sherman from Savannah ; and", by the time Sherman 
rjrrived, had made up an army superior to his in cavalry, and formidable 
enough in artillery and infantry to make it incumbent upon Sherman to 
move with caution, and to afford a prospect of being able to resist his pro- 
gress ; but, on the 2(Jth of April, 18G5, after being driven back bevond 
Goldsboro', and hearing of Lee's surrender to Grant, he capitulated 011 the 
same terms to General Sherman. 



227. JOHN A. LOGAN. 

General John'A. Logan was born in Jackson County, Illinois, February 
19, 1826. He was early throAvn on his natural resources of energy for suc- 
cess in life, and received a good common school education. When the war 
with Mexico occurred, he entered the army as private, was elected a Lieu- 
tenant of a company of the First Regiment of Illinois Volunteers, and was 
made Quartermaster of his regiment. Returning home on the close of the 
war, he was elected County Clerk of Jackson County in 1849, but resi:^'-ned, 
and commenced the study of law in 1850. Having graduated at the Louis- 
ville University, he was admitted to the bar in lb52, and the same year was 
elected to the State Legislature of Illinois, where he acquired distinction. 

In 1853 he was appointed Prosecuting Attorney of the Third Judicial 
Circuit ; in 1856 was a Presidential Elector ; and the same year was again 
elected to the Legislature. 

In 1858 he was elected a Representative from Illinois to the Thirty-Sixth 
Congress, and, in lS60, was re-elected. 

On the breaking out of the Rebellion he resigned his seat in Congress, 
and entered the Union army as Colonel, distinguishing himself by his great 
bravery at the battle of Bull Run, July 21, 1861. 

Returning to Illinois in August, he organized the Thirty-First Regiment 
of Illinois Volunteers. His regiment participated in the battle of Belmont 
in November, 1861, and, also, at the capture of Fort Henry. He took 
an active part in the capture of Fort Donaldson, and was wounded in the 
left arm. 

Commissioned a Brigadier-General of Volunteers, March 24, 1862, he 
reported to General Grant, and, after participating in the siege of Corinth, 
he was placed in command of the United States forces at Jackson. Ho com- 
manded a division of the right wing in the movements into Mississippi in 
December, 1862, and subsequently held one in the Seventeenth Corps, under 
General McPherson. 

In the spring of 1863 he was confirmed a Major-General of Volunteers, 
with rank from November 9, 1862, and distinguished himself with General 
Grant in his rapid march from Grand Gulf to Jackson, in May, 1863, when, 
continually in the advance, he occupied the Mississippi capital. 

He participated prominently in the battle of Champion Hills, and was 
equally distinguished at the storming of Vicksburg, May 22, 1863. On the 
surrender of Vicksburg, July 4, 1863, General Logan's command occupied 
the surrendered city, an honor bestowed upon his gallant corps for its dis- 
tinguished services, and he was made Military Governor. 

Returning North, General Logan took an active part in all the political 
questions growing out of the war, addressing public meetings throughout 
the country, and Avas again elected Representative to Congress, in 1866, 
where he participated in the debates on Reconstruction, and was chosen one 
of the Managers on the part of the House in the impeachment of Andrew 
Johnson. 

The great organization which constitutes the " Grand Army of the Repub- 
lic" selected General Logan as its Chief ; and in that capacity, with his 
political prominence, he is one of the most influential men of the country. 



228. KOGER A. PRYOR. 

RooRR A. PRTon was born in Dinwiduie Courty, Virginia. July ]9.18-.'8, 
nndpiadiiated at Hampden bidney (Joi^ege and t.-e Uuiveriity of Virginia, 
in Ibh't. 

He adoptpd (he profe=sion of the law, cimmpncing practice in Char- 
Inttoville, Va'ginia, but relinquished it on account of Lis lifttith, and in 
18j1, became an b.ditor in Petei-.-buig 

He Wis eurly drawn into politics in which he took an active and con- 
spicuous part. 

In 18Ji Mr. Pryir connected him«elf with the "Washington Union'' 
as a writer, bur r.dinquished his position on account of a difference with 
the Administration in respect to our lelations with Russia, Mr Pryor bemg 
pro Russian in his sentiments. In 1^53 he joined ti.e "Richmond En- 
qu rer," which he e'littnl. In 18."5 be w;is apponted by President Pieice a 
ppecial conim ssioner to Greece to adji.st ce; lain (iifficnlt t s wi h that ccun- 
try. < rigin.iiing in the per:'ecution of the R v. Dr K ng an Amei io.n Mis- 
sionary, wliich he succps>lu ly sealed. On his return he e^tablitehed a po it- 
iciil j'uirnal called ttie "Soutli,"' wi ich f-tnp]), d in eifrliteen n onlhs, ai d 
was a^lcrwards cnnected f«u- lour months with the " Wash ntrlon Siat» s."' 
In 1859 hi! was elected Representative to the thirty sixth Congr< ss. at d was 
re-e e ted to the thiity->eventh Congress, but was am. ng ti)(>se who were 
promni-ntin t:;e seces ion movement. He was a member of the Provisional 
Congri's of the Southern Cimfeder'cy and was conspicuou.s among those 
who aided i i the formation of the New Government. 

He was elected to the regular Congress of the Secpssion States, but 
resioned his position to enter he Confederate Army and was appointed a 
Colonel. He was promoted t'> aBiigadier-G« neral ard se-vcd in tlie Army of 
Nortl>ein Vircin'a until 18G4. wlien resignii ghi.siai;kon account of a differ- 
ence with Jefferson D.ivis. he served as a private \v til the end of the war. 

UemHving to New York City, in 18 )5. he settled as a L;iwyerandat 
once t'U)k a prominent po-ition' at tiie bar, wliere he has advanced to 
distincti. n and a lucrative practice. In Congress Gen. Pryor was distin- 
gui-hed as a readv debater and took a lead njr part in all the stormy legi.^- 
latinn prece^iing the war. Eschewinp- peliMcs since, he has devoted himself 
oxclu^ 'vely to his profe sion. and, making numerous friends among his I'ew 
a'-so'-iates, both in and out of his profession, Gen. Pryor has a fair field 
beTore him of future promotion and distinctio.n. 



229. EICHAED TAYLOE. 

General RicnARD Taylor (popularly knovt-n in the late war as " Dick ' 
Taylor, of the Confederate service), was the son of General Zachary Taylor, 
the tenth President of the United States, and was born in Louisiana about 
the year 1822. The son of a President of the United States, he also had 
the peculiar fortune of being- the brother-in-law of the President of the 
Southern Confederacy. 

He first distinguished himself in " Stonewall Jackson's" famous campaigTX 
in the valley of Virginia, when, at Port Republic, the Louisiana Brigade, 
commanded"' by General Taylor, decided the day by an attack upon the 
Federal artillery, which was taken in response to Jackson's stern command, 
*' That battery must be taken !" 

With the rank of Major-General, he was afterward transferred to 
another field of operations, and placed in command of the District of 
Louisiana. 

Here transpired the chief interest of his military life, in its remarkable 
connection with the city of New Orleans, which he indulged the hope of 
relieving or capturing. 

Engaging actively in the campaign in the La Fourche country in the sum- 
mer of 1863, General Taylor captiu-ed Brashear City and its forts. This 
position, with that of Thibodeaux, placed him in command of the Mississippi 
River above New Orleans. The unexpected fall of Vicksburg, involving so 
many other operations, proved equally disastrous to General Taylor's place ; 
and, exposing Port Hudson, compelled it also to surrender, rendering 
General Taylor's position in the La Fourche country still more hazardous. 
Unable to hold it with a force of only four thousand men, he was compelled 
to abandon it. 

In the famous Red River campaign in the spring of 18G4, acting under 
the orders of General E. Kirby Smith, he encountered the army of General 
Banks, moving from Alexandria, and gained, it is claimed by the Confed- 
erates, two of the most important victories of the war. 

The battle of Pleasant Hill being won. General Taylor favored the pur- 
suit of the Federal troops with the view of the destruction of Banks and 
Porter, and then rapidly opening the way to New Orleans. The views of 
General Taylor, indulged from a romantic and brilliant point, were not 
sympathized m by the Commander-in-Chief, so they were abandoned, much, 
to his disappointment. 

Banks escaped before any concentration could be formed against him, 
although Taylor, with a small force, was in hot pursuit. 

Promoted to Lieutenant-General, he Avas transferred east of the Missis- 
sippi, and placed in command of the Department of the Southwest, com- 
prising East Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Surrendering thia 
command to General Canby on the 4th of May, 18G5, General Taylor's 
military career ended with the end of the Confederacy. 



I o 



230. SILAS H. STEINGHAM. 

Admiral Silas Horton Strtngham was Dorn in Middletown, Orange 
County, New York, November 7, 1798. He entered the navy as Midshipman 
in 1810, and served in the frigate President, then under command of Com- 
modore Rodgers, being on board during the fight with the Little Belt and 
the Inicidere — British vessels. 

In 1815 he was in Commodore Decatur's squadron, and took part in the 
Algerine "War. 

In 181G young Stringham distinguished himself by the rescue of part 
of the crew of a French brig at Gibi'altar. He served as Lieutenant in 1819, 
on board the Cyane, which conveyed the first settlers to the Colony of 
Liberia. Here he went on an expedition after slavers, and captured four, 
was made Prize-Master, and sent home with his prizes. 

In 1821 he was promoted to a First Lieutenancy : and, in the Hc»niet, on 
the West India station, aided in the capture of a notorious pirate and slaver. 

From 1825 to 1829 he was on duty at the Brooklyn Navy- Yard ; then 
sailed, as Fii-st Lieutenant .of the Peacock, to search for the Hornet, sup- 
posed to have been lost nearTampico; was transferred to the Falmouth, and 
returned to New Y^'ork in 1830. For the next five years he was engaged on 
shore duty. 

In 1835 he was ordered to the command of the sloop-of-war John Adams, 
then in the Mediterranean squadron ; and, in 1837, was appointed second in 
command of the Brooklyn Navy- Yard. In 1842 lie was ordered to the razee 
Independence; and, in the following year, was assigned to the command of 
the Brooklyn Navy- Yard. In 1846 he took command of the ship-of-line 
Ohio, and was engaged in the capture of Vera Cruz. 

After various important services, in 1861, on the breaking out of the 
Rebellion, he was appointed Flag-Officer of the Atlantic blockading squadron, 
and ordered to the Mimiesota. He commanded the joint expedition which 
captured Forts Hatteras and Clark, August 27 and 28. 

On September 23 he was relieved from his command at his own request ; 
and, August 1, 1862, was made a Rear- Admiral, and placed on the retired list. 

Since that period. Admiral Stringham has been in the enjoyment of a 
well-earned repose. His long and arduous life of patriotic service is g-rate- 
fuUy remembered by his country, and he lives a noble example of the honors 
of a well-spent life, spared by an all-wise and over-ruling power to remind 
us how faithfully we ouirht to cherisn the memory of those devoted spii-its 
which are now translated to higher and more glorious spheres of existence 
as the reward of their fidelity and truth. 



231. S. F. DUPONT. 

Admiral S. F. DuPOXT was born at Bergen Point, New Jersey, Sep- 
tember 27, 1803. In 1815, Avhen but twelve years of ago, he was commis- 
sioned by President Madison a Midshipman in the I'uited States navy, and 
sailed on his first cruise, in 1817, on board tlie frigate Franklin, under 
Commodore Stewart. Owing to the peaceful relations subsisting between 
the United States and other powers, the duties of his profession were of no 
special importance. He, however, showed himself an active and able officer 
in whatever capacity employed, and experienced a fair proportion of sea 
service. 

In 1845, being then a Commander, he was ordered to the command of the 
frigate Conjr'CSS, under Commodore Stockton, and was on the California 
coast at the cora.mencement of the war with Mexico. He was soon after put 
in command of the Cijane, and took a conspicuous part in the conquest of 
Lower California. In 1850, Dupont attained to the rank of Captain, and, in 
the succeeding year, was placed in command of the steam-frigate Minnesota, 
which conveyed Mr. Reed, the American Minister, to China; and, after visit- 
ing Japan and the coast of Southern Asia, returned to the United States in 
1859. In January, 18G1, he was appointed to the command of the Philadel- 
phia Navy-Yard. 

At the breaking out of the Rebellion it was determined by the Govern- 
ment to occupy one or more important points on the Southern coast, where 
the blockading squadron or cruisers of the Government might resort for 
shelter or supplies, or rendezvous for expeditions ; and to Captain Dupont 
was intrusted the selection of such a place. The harbor of Port Royal, on 
the coast of South Carolina, was fixed upon ; and, during the summer of 
1861, preparations for a joint naval and military expedition thither were 
vigorously pursued. On the 29tli of October the whole fleet of over fifty sails 
stood out to sea. After encountering a furious gale, which dispersed the 
vessels in all directions and caused the loss of several transports, tho 
greater number arrived off Port Royal, November 4, when a recon- 
noissanos discovered that Hilton Head and B ly Point Avere protected by 
works of great strength, scientifically constructed, and mounted with guns 
of heavy calibre. After a few days' preparation, they were attacked by the 
fleet on the morning of the 7th ; and, by two o'clock, the enemy were dis- 
covered in rapid flight from Fort Walker, which was taken possession of, 
and the next morning Fort Beauregard was also abandoned by its garrison. 

This victory excited universal enthusiasm throughout the loyal States, 
contributed to restore confidence, and increase the eclat which had attended 
the naval operations of the war. 

Commodore Dupont immediately took active measures to follow up this 
success, and his fleet was afterward busily employed in expeditions along 
the coast and in co-operation with the land forces under T. W. Sherman and 
Hunter. 

Apart from his sea service, and for the past quarter of a century, 
Admiral Dupont has been employed on shore in numerous important public 
duties requiring the exercise of high professional knowledge and experi- 
ence. Ho died at Philadelphia, June 2 ', 1865. 



232. N. B, FORREST. 

Lieut-Gexeral N. B. Forkest was born on the IStli day of July, 1821, 
at Ch .ppil Hill. Bedford Co., lennessee. Removiug in 1834 with bis father, 
William Forrest, to Mississippi, he settled in that State. Amassino^ a con- 
siderable fortune in various pursuits, the breaking out of the war found him 
a successful planter on the Mississippi Bottom. 

Entering the Confederate service as a private soldier, he soon obtained 
the authority to raise a Regiment of Cavalry which he commanded with 
d stinguished gallantry at Fort Donelson Subsequently accompanying 
Gen. A. S. Johnston in his retreat to the Tennessee River he was with him at 
the Battle of Shiloh, where, rendering distinguished service, he was 
sever» ly wounded. 

Acting in co-operation with John Morgan, when that General made his 
raid into Kentucky to operate on the communications of Gen. Grant's 
Army in Mississippi, Forrest, with a cavalry force, marched to oppose those 
of Gen. R tsencranz, in Tennessee. 

Crossing the Tennessee River at Chattanooga, Forrest captured Mc- 
Minnville, surprised the garrison of Murfreesboro, taking prisoner Gen. 
Crittenden and capturing a force of 20C0 infantry, 

G<n. Brajg's Array advancing from Chattanooga towards Kentucky, 
Forrest was sent again to Middle Tennessee. Forrest's Cavalry covering 
the whole front of the Confederate Army, constant engagements were 
fought between them and the Federals, 

Col. Straight, the active Federal commander, disembarking a select 
Brigade in the neighborhood of Tuscumbia, Alabama, Forrest marched 
rapidly with a force of 1500 men to the Tennessee River. Alter 48 hours of 
rapid |)ursuit he overtook the Federal rear-guard in the mountains. Bring- 
ing his antagonist to bay, Straight made his disposition for battle, Forrest 
demanding his surrender, Straight, believing hiinself overwhelmed by a 
superior fo'-ce, surrendeed to his invincible enemy. 

Gen. Van Dorn dying. Forre-t was placed in command of the whole 
Cavalry corps of the Army of the Tennessee. 

At the Battle of Chicamaugua his command occupied the extreme right 
of Brago's line of battle. Alter many other achievements and his success- 
ful expedition to Tadiicah, Gea. Forrest appeared before Fort Pillow on the 
Mississippi. This fort, garrisoned by negro troops surrendered after terrible 
plauirhter, April 12, 1804. Its capture covered the nam^ of Gen. Forrest 
thrnughoiit the North with great ignominy from his alleged merciless mas- 
sacre of the colored soldiers after their surrender. Afterward, in 1868, General For- 
rest was a delegate to the Democratic Convention to nominate candidates forPresi- 
dent and Vice-President of the United States, Which was held in Tammany Hall, 
New York City, and took a very active and prominent part in the deliberations of 
that bodv. 



233. WILLIAM J. HAEDEE. 

General "WiLLlAM J. Hardee was born in Savannah, Georgia, about 
the year 1817. Ho entered the military academy at West Point in 1834, 
aod graduated with honor in 18;i8. Pie was then commissioned Second 
Lieutenant in the United States Dragoons, and was sent to Florida, where 
he served nearly two years. Ou the od of December, 1839, he was promoted 
to a First Lieutenancy, and was sent, by the Secretai-y of War, to the cele- 
brated military school of St. Maur, in France. There, he was regularly 
attached tc the cavalry department ot the French array ; and, after com- 
pleting his studies, returned to the United States, bringing a flattering let- 
ter of recommendation from Marshal Oudiaot to the Secretary of War at 
Washington. 

Lieutenant Hardee's regiment was now stationsd on the Western fron- 
tiei% and quickly joining it, he soon became actively employed in defend- 
ing the advanced settlements from Indian depredations. On the 18tli of 
September, 1844, he was promoted to Captain of Dragoons, and accompanied 
General Taylor across the Rio Grande, being, in the Mexican campaign, 
the first to engage the enemy, at a place called Curricitos, where, 
overwhelmed by superior numbers, he was taken prisoner; but was ex- 
changed in time to take part in the battle of Monterey. He afterward 
joined the forces of General Scott at Vera Cruz, and displayed great gallantry 
in an affair at Madelin, for which he was promoted to Major of Cavalry. 

After the close of the contest, Jefferson Davis, then Secretary of War, 
detailed him to prepare a system of Tactics, which were published as 
" Hardee's Tactics, or the United States Rifle and Infantry Tactics," in two 
volumes. On the completion of the work, in July, 1856, he was appointed 
Commandant of the Corps of Cadets at West Point, with local rank of Lieu- 
t,enant-Colonel. 

He resigned his commission in the United States Army, January 31, 
1861, and offered his services to the Confederate Government, was made a 
Brigadier-General, and was sent to Arkansas with his command. He was 
afterward sent to Kentucky, when he was appointed a Major-General ; and, 
on the 17th of December, 1861, fought the battle of Munfordsville, Ky. 
In 1863 he commanded a corps in General Polk's division, and participated 
in the battle of Shiloh, where his zeal and ability was spoken of by Beaure- 
gard, in his official report. From this time, General Hardee's corps was 
attached to Bragg's army, and accompanied it in all its movements, to the 
battle of Perryville. His conduct on this occasion, and throughout the 
campaign, procured him the appointment of Lieutenant-General. He took 
a conspicuous part in the battle of Murfreesboro', in December, 1862. 

In the month of July, 1863, he was assigned to duty in command of the 
department formerly held by General Pemberton, but was soon recalled to 
Bragg's army, and the Second Corps placed under him. The battles of 
Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge, followed ; and, finally. 
General Hardee was appointed to temporarily succeed Bragg in the general 
command. 

In May, 1864, General J. E. Johnston assumed full command of tho 
army; and, in Septembex*, General Hardee was relieved at his own request, 
and appointed to the command of the Department of South Carolina. When 
General Sherman advanced upon Savannah, General Hardee occupied that 
city, with fifteen thousand men ; but finding it vain to attempt resistance, he 
evacuated, itDecembei' 2 1 , 1S64, and retired into South Carolina. He after- 
Ward held command under J. I'. Johnston, in North Carolina, and was in- 
cluded in the surrender ci that General, in April, 18G5. 



J^ 



234. IRANCIS P. BLAIR, Jr.. 

General Fkancis P. Blair, Jr., was born in Lexington, Kentucky, in 
1831. He graduated at Princeton College, New Jersey, and settled in St. 
Louis, Mo.,^vherc lie was the political associate of Thomas II. Benton, and was 
among the iirst public men in Missouri to denounce the institution of 
slavery. His bold and fearless efforts did much to revolutionize public sen- 
timent in St. Louis. 

In I80G he was elected to Congress as a Republican, and was re-elected 
bv increased majorities, in 1858 and 18H2 ; and tlu'oughout these years lie 
continued earnestly to advocate Free Soil doctrines. At the commencement 
of the Ilebellion, he was among the first to organize troops for the defense 
of St. Louis and Missouri ; and, in conjunction with General Lyon, raised 
the forces known as the " Missouri Home Guards." He was made Colonel 
of the First Regiment, and assisted in the capture of Camp Jackson, near St. 
Louis, May 10, 18G1. Colonel Blair also participated in the battle of Boone- 
ville, under General Lyon, June 17, 18Gi, and his regiment took a very active 
part in the battle of Wilson's Creek, where General Lyon was killed, August 
10, ISGI ; but, in conseqence of his having to occupy his scat in the special 
session of Congress, Colonel Blair was not present during that action. 
During the session of 18G1-'G2, he was Chairman of the Committee on 
Military Affaii-s, and, as such, did good service to the country. 

Upon the close of the session, he returned to Missouri, and commenced 
the organization of a regiment of artillery; but afterward, at the request 
of the Secretary of War, he raised a brigade of infantry, of which he was 
placed in command, and commissioned a Brigadier-General in August, 1SG3. 
General Blair participated in the siege of Vicksburg, and greatly distin- 
guished himself. He also commanded his brigade in General Sherman's 
Aving of McCiernand's army during the capture of Fort Hindman, on the 
the Arkansas River, January 10 and 11, 18Gu. For gallantry displayed in 
these contests, General Blair was promoted to Major-Gencral of Volunteers. 
During the remainder of the war, General Blair took an active part in nearly 
all the great battles of the West, and exhibited many high traits of general- 
pliip. Ho commanded the Fifteenth Army Corps at Missionary Ridge, and was 
then transferred to the Seventeenth Corps, which he commanded through the At- 
lanta campaign, and in the campaign through Georgia and the Carolinas. As soon 
as the war was over, he urged a liberal treatment of the ex-Rebels. 

The Legislature of Missouri having passed a law disfranchising all who 
participated in the Rebellion, it was opposed by him as proscriptive and 
unconstitutional. 

With regard to the test oath, he absolutely refused to subscribe to it, and 
his vote was refused at the polls. For this act he brought a suit before the 
courts, foF the purpose of testing the law. The case is now before the 
Supreme Court of the United States. Ho gradually withdrew from 
the Republican party, and denounced the Reconstruction laws of Congress 
as d spotlc. He opposed the policy of universal Negro suffrage, creating no 
litrlc surprise, as contrasted with his former opinions, and showing how 
greatly men's views change in the progress of events. 

In July, 1SG8, ho w.is nominated by the Democratic X)arty a candidate for 
Vice-Preuidcut of the Uuited States, but was defeated. 



235.' NATHANIEL P. BANKS. 

Nathaniel P. Banks was born in Waltham, Massachusetts, January 
80, 181G. His father was overseer in a cotton factory, and when he was 
yet young-, he became a " Bobbin boy." Some few months at school had 
instilled into him a thirst for knowledge, and all his leisure hours were 
devoted to history, political economy, and the science of g-overnment. He 
afterward learned the machinest trade. During all this time, he was 
unremitting- in his studies, and soon began to lecture before lyceums, 
temperance societies, and political assemblies. 

In 1840 he stumped the State of Massachusetts for the Democratic party. 
He became editor of a paper in Lowell ; and, under Polk's administration, 
received an office in the Boston Custom-House. For six years, he was a 
candidate for a seat in the Massachusetts Legislature, but was defeated each 
year. On the seventh, he was elected a Representative from Waltham. 

In 1850 he was simultaneously elected Senator from Middlesex, and 
a Representative from Waltham. He concluded to continue in the House, 
and was chosen Speaker. Ho held this position for two years. In 1852, 
Mr. Banks was elecieii to Congress by the Democrats, running upon the ticket with 
General Frank Pierce, Democratic candidate tor President. 

He left the Democratic party in 1854, on the formation of the Republican 
party, and was by them again elected Representative to Congress, where 
he was chosen Speaker after a trial of nine weeks. In 1857 he was elected 
Governor of Massachusetts, and was re-elected in 1858 and 1859, during 
which time he administered the government of the State with eminent wis- 
dom, and to the entire satisfaction of all parties. 

Soon after the expiration of his third term, he removed to Illinois, where 
lie became associated with the conduct of a railroad, and so continued 
until the war actually broke out. He was appointed Major-General of Vol- 
unteers, May oO, 186i, and took command of the Department of Annapolis, 
with headquarters at Baltimore, where he stopped one source of secession 
aid, by arresting Marshal Kane and his police board, Avhose quarters resem- 
bled, in some respects, a concealed arsenal. 

July 25 he took command of the Department of the Shenandoah ; and, 
on the 8th of February, 18G2, General Banks commenced active operations 
by moving up the valley, driving the Rebels before him. Pie had advanced 
as far as Harrisonburg, when an order came to send a portion of his troops 
to McDowell, and retreat to Strasburg. He succeeded in reaching Wil- 
liamsport, without material disaster. On the 8th of August he successfully 
fouuht the Rebels under Jackson and Ewell, at Cedar Mountain, where his 
personal bravery and good management were conspicuous. 

After the Virginia campaign, he was assigned to the command of the Depart- 
ment of Washington, and remained in command until November, 1862, Avhea lie 
was sent to New Orleans to rcHeve General Butler, where he arrived December 17, 
1862, and immediately sent out expiditions, took Baton Rouge, Port Hudson, Bate 
le Rose, Corpus Christi, and had numerous other engagements, some of which 
were defeats. He was succeeded by General Canby, in May, 1864 ; and on the 
close of the war, having returned to Massachusetts, he was again elected Repre- 
seutativo to Conj^ress, which position he oow holds. 



236. GEOEGE H. THOMAS. 

General Geokge H. Thomas was born in Southampton County, Virginia, 
July ol, 1810. He received a good education, and commenced the study 
of law at the age of nineteen ; but his attention, from some cause, turning 
to military life, he received an appointment as Cadet in the West Point 
Military Academy, in 18.'30, and graduated in 1840, receiving a commission' 
as Second Lieutenant in the Third Artillery, 

In November of the same year, he joined the army in Florida, when the 
Seminole War was in progress ; and, for gallant conduct in that war, he was 
breveted First Lieutenant. 

On the fii'st indications of war with Mexico, he was ordered to Texas, 
and was with the first United States troops which occupied the soil of that 
State. He was left by General Taylor to garrison Fort Brown, opposite 
Matamoras, which was invested and bombarded by the Mexicans for about a 
week, when they withdrew, to reinforce General Ampudia at Kesaca de la 
Palma. General Thomas served with General Taylor through the Mexican 
campaign, and was breveted Captain and Major for gallant conduct. 

In 1851 and 1852, he was Instructor of Artillery and Cavalry at West 
Point, and subsequently saw much active service in the West. 

In April, 1801, on the commencement of hostilities, he was assigned to 
duty at Carlisle, Pa., to remount his regiment, which had been dismounted 
by General Twiggs, and ordered out of Texas, He was promoted to Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel and Colonel of the Fifth United States Cavalry, and from 
M;iy to August, was acting Brigadier-General, under Patterson and Banks. 
On the 17th of August, he was appointed Brigadier-General of Volunteers, 
and oi'dered to the Department of Kentucky, where he defeated Zoliicoffer at 
Mill Spring, or Somerset, January 19, 1803. He was appointedMajor-General 
of Volunteers in April ; and, during the summer, commanded a wing of the 
Army of the Tennessee. 

He commanded the centre of the Army of the Cumberland at the battle 
of Stone Biver; participated in the advance upon, and occupation of, 
Chattanooga ; and, at the battle of Chickamauga, saved the Union army 
from destruction. In October, he was appointed 1o the Department of the 
Cumberland, assumed command of his troops at Chattanooga, and had an 
important share in the victory of November 24, at that phice. He partici- 
pated in Sherman's campaign, ending in the capture of Atlanta, in Septem- 
ber, 1804, and was then ordered to Nashville, where, on December 15 and 
10, he practically annihilated the army of Hood, in a series of battles, which 
may bo said to have ended the war in the West. He is now a Brigadier- 
General in the Regular Army, and commanded, at the close of the war, the 
Military Division of Tennessee. 

He afterward commainJed the Third Military District, under the Reconstruction 
laws. He died March 20, 1870, in California. 



/" 



23 7. HORATIO SEYMOUE. 

Horatio Seymour was born in Onondaga County, New York, in 1810, 
of wealthy parents. He received a liberal education, studied law, was 
admitted to practice in Ulica, N. Y, But he did not long pursue the piolession, 
the death of his father having made him successor to a large estate, requiring his 
attention. 

Mr. Seymour's politics were inllerited from his ancestors. He first 
appeared in political life as the Democratic candidate for Mayor of the city 
of Utica, in 1842, and was elected by a fair majority, though one of the 
strongest "Whig localities. In the same year he was elected to the State 
Legislature, and served until 1845, when he declined a re-electi(m. 

In 1850 he was a candidate for Governor of his native State, but was un- 
successful. In 1852 he was again a candidate for the same office, against the 
same opponent, Washington Hunt, and was elected by a large majority. 

His administration was distinguished by his veto of the Maine Liqvior 
Law bill, which had passed both houses of the Legislature. In 1854 he was 
again a candidate ; but, there being four in the field that year — two Demo- 
crats, " hard " and " soft shell," one Republican, and one Know-Nothing — 
the Ilepublican, Mr. Clark, was elected by a small majority 

After his defeat, Mr. Seymour retired to private life, but still took an 
active part in politics. 

When the Rebellion broke out, he served as Chairman of the War Com- 
mittee, in his county, aiding in forwarding troops to the seat of war. 

In 1863 he was once more nominated for Governor, and wus elected. 
During his administration, he had quite a warm controversy with the Gen- 
eral Government respecting the draft, by claiming that the quota of troops 
from the southern portion of the State was larger, in proportion to the 
voting population, than that of the northern. The matter was finall}- set- 
tled by a revision of the draft list. This revision having proved that he was right 
in his position, the Legislature gave him a vote of thanks, although it was politi- 
cally hostile to him. 

In 1803 the draft riots broke out in New York City, and Mr. Seymour 
addressed the rioters, urging them to disperse, promising: to do all he could 
to stay the execution of the draft. President Lincoln and Mr. Stanton wrote to 
him, when Pennsylvania was invaded by General Lee, thanking him, in the warm- 
est term-!, for the aid he gave them. In 1864, he presided at tlie National Conven- 
tion at Chicago, at which General MeClellan was nominated for the presidency, and, 
in the same year, he was again a candidate for the office of Governor, but was 
defeated by Mr. Fenton ; and, in 1868, he was nominated by the Demo- 
cratic Convention, held in N<^w York City, in July of that year, a can- 
didate for President of the United States, but was defeated by General 
Grant. 

In personal appearance, Mr. Seymour is quite dignified, and is said to be 
a very sociable and hospitable gentlemmi. As a public speaker, he is fluent, 
eloquent, and argunieutative, and one of New York's most r)opular orators. 



-3-^ 



238. FEENANDO WOOD. 

Fernando Wood, a Member of the United States Congress, and for 
three terms Ma3'or of the city of New York, Avas born in Philadelphia, in 
1812, during- the early part of the second war with England. Moving to 
ISew York, he engaged in commercial pursuits, and amassed, by his energy 
and talents for business, a handsome fortune. 

His political life commenced as a Member of Congress from one of the 
districts of the city of New York, having been elected for the term beginning 
with December, 1841, and ending March 3, 184o. 

Mr. Wood distinguished himself in Congress by taking a decided ground 
against any concessions growing out of our controversy with Great Britain, 
relative to the boundary line between Maine and Canada, that question then 
being an absorbing one in the public mind. 

Leaving Congress, he resumed his position as a merchant ; and in the year 
1850, was a candidate for the Mayoralty, but was defeated. Undaunted, he ran 
again in 1854, and was elected for three successive terras. 

If a debt of gratitude was due Mayor Wood for nothing else, it would 
bo acknowledged for the energy and characteristic perseverance he displayed 
in securing to the city the Central Park. 

It was intended by the Board of Aldermen and Councilmen to limit the 
southern extent of the Park to Seventy-Second street, when Mayor Wood, 
on March 23, 1855, vetoed the resolution on the ground that, " though it 
proposed to take from the Central Park a portion of the area agreed upon, 
still it would be in effect a blow at the whole, and jeopardize the success of 
the most intelligent, philanthropic, and patriotic public enterprise which 
had been undertaken by the people of this city since the introduction of the 
waters of the Croton River." 

Being, ex officio, one of the Park Commissioners, he administered that 
office with ability during the period of his Mayoralty. Among the number 
of practical and beneficial reforms which he introduced was the organization 
of the Municipal Police. The action of the Legislature in 1857 changed 
this to the Metropolitan Police ; but it continued to retain,without municipal 
control, many of the efficient features which Mayor Wood introduced. 

Defeated in the election of December, 1857, by Mayor Tieman, Mr. Wood 
was triumphantly elected at the subsequent election, and occupied tlie 
Mayor's chair for 1800-61. The Japanese Embassy and the Prince of Wales' 
visit were two conspicuous events which transpired during the year 18G0 of 
Mr. Wood's Mayoralty. 

On the 1st of January, 1802, Mr. Wood was succeeded by the Hon. 
George Opdyke, and in December following, he was elected to Congress for 
the tcnn ending March, 1865, and was reelected, in 1860, to thePoriieth Congress, 
coniiTiencing December 1, 1867. 

In tlie November election of 1868 he was triumphantly re-elected to Con- 
gress, with a combination of two opposing candidates in the field. 

Alternately victor or vanquished, Fernando Wood possesses a stamina 
and vitality of character which knoAvs no such word as fail, and is a man to 
wli-.m the public are indebted for many great reforms, and au example of 
public spirit and invincible energy. 



239. JOIIX B. HOOD. 

General John B. Hood was born in Bath County, Kentucky, June 29, 
1831. He was educated at Mount Sterling, entered West Point ^Military 
Academy in 1849, and graduated in 1853, when he joined the Fourth Regi- 
ment of Infantry, with which he served nearly two years in California. In 
1855 he was transferred to the Second Cavalry, and with this regiment did 
duty on the Western frontier of Texas, where "in July, 1856, he was wound- 
ed in a light with the Indians. It was here, no doiibt, in the wild service 
of the Texan West, that in common with others who were employed in 
that service, he derived that boldness and dash so conspicuous in him 
during the rebellion. He resigned liis commission in the U. S. army April 
IG, 18G1, and entered the army of the South with the rank of first lieute- 
nant, with the order to report'to General Lee early in May. 

He was sent to Magruder, then in eofnmand on the Peninsula. On the 30th 
of September, 1861, ne was ordered to Richmond, and received the rank of colo- 
nel of infantry, taking command of a regiment of Texas volunteers. 

When Senator Wigfall had to take his seat in the Confederate Con- 
gress on 3L'u\h 3d, 18G2, Colonel Hood was assigned to his post with a 
brigadier's rank, and attached to Longstreet's corps. 

The first great fia:ht in which Gen. Hood took a prominent part was the 
battle of Gaines' Mills, June 27, 1832, his brigade having been previously 
held in reserve, and placed where skirmishing or outpost work was carried 
on. Now, however, they were called upon to show of what stuff they 
were made, and a desperate part was assigned them. The federal batteries 
had to be charged, and when the word was given. Hood liimself on foot, 
led them forward, and, with a wild shout, at a run, they rushed on, right 
into the redoubts and among the guns. A hand to hand conflict ensued. 
The result is known. For his gallantry, Hood was promoted to a major-general 
after the battle of Antietam. 

From this time the movements of General Hood were bound up witii 
the grand army under Lee, but we find honorable mention of him at the 
first and second invasion of Maryland, at Fredericksburg and at Gettys- 
burg, at which latter place he v/as wounded in the arm. He afterwards 
accompanied Longstreet into East Tennessee and on to reinforce Bragg, 
then preparing for the battle of Cliickamauga, in which he took an active 
part, and in the engagement of the second day, September 20, 1863, he was 
again wounded, making amputation of his leg needful, it being terribly 
shattered. For his valuable services in this and other engagements. Hood 
was afterwards made a lieutenant-general. Six months elapsed before he 
could again take the field. 

On the 18th of July, 1864, General Johnston having been relieved of 
the command of the Army of Tennessee, General Hood was appointed in 
his place, and assumed command at Atlanta, Geo., which he evacuated 
September 1st, being flanked by General Sherman. In October he moved 
against Sherman's communications, and passing through Northern Ala- 
bama invaded Tennessee in the latter part of November. After the hard 
fought battle of Franklin he moved upon Nashville, where he was defeated 
by General Thomas December 15 and 16,1864, and retreated into Missis- 
sippi with the remnant of his army, where he took leave of them, having 
been relieved of his command by his request. 



240. JUDSON KILPATEICK. 

General JuDSON" KiLPATRiCK -vvari born in New Jersey, January 14, 1836; 
graduated at West Point, in 1601 ; wai commissioned ai Second Lieutenant 
of Company of tho First Regiment ot United States Artillery, May 6, 
18G1 ; and soon alter wan promoted to First Lieutenancy. 

Obtaining" leave of absence, he accepted ;i Captaincy in Duryea's 
Zouave:* (Fitth New York Volunteers), and p irticipatod iu the b.ittleof Bi j 
Bethel, Juno 10, 18G1, in which ho was wounded. Recovering, lo WLiacom- 
lulssioned Lieutenant-Colonel of tho Harris Light Cavalry. Attaohc;! t> 
Greneral McDoweU's army, his regiment guarded tho outposts of tho First; 
Army Corps on tho banks of tho Kappahannock. 

Subsequently, he was commissioned Colonel of tliis regiment, and par- 
ticipated in the cavalry operations of the campaign of G-eneral Pope, in 
August, 18G3. In the various operations of G-eneral Pleasanton, in the) 
Maryland campaign, he was actively engaged, as also at the time of th(j 
advance of the Ai'my of the Potomac to Falmouth, under General Burnside. 
At the last-named post he was particularly distinguished with his regiment 
for conspicuous gallantry. 

Upon the organization of the Cavalry Corps under General Stoneman, 
General Kilpatrick received the command of the First Brigade of the Third 
Division, and took part in the famous Stoneman raid, arriving at Louisa 
Court-House, Va., May 3, 18G3. He detached his own regiment from the 
command ; and, through all the subsequent movements, led it in person to 
Gloucester Point, opposite Yorktown, marching nearly two hundred miles 
in less than five days. The expedition was attended with marked success, 
capturing over three hundred men. Returning to the main army, then on 
the north side of the Potomac, by way of Urbana, he passed completely 
around the entire Rebel army. Previous to this, he had made three other 
raids, and was speedily promoted for his bravery. 

In June, ISG-J, lie received the rank of Brigadier-General of Volunteers, 
and commanded subsequently a division of cavalry under General Pleasan- 
ton. June 17, 1803, he conducted the battle of Aldie, and took part in those 
of Middlebui-g, June 21, and Hanover, July 1, of the same year. 

In the campaign in Pennsylvania, after General Meade had taken com- 
mand of the Army of the Potomac, General Kilpatrick was engaged in 
operations on the flanks of Lee's Rebel army. In this service he destroyed 
many trains, captured a number of prisoners, and otherwise dealt many 
blows to the enemy. *' 

_ On the 23th of February, 18G4, he conducted a daring raid toward 
Richmond, having for its object the liberation of the Union prisoners con- 
fined in that city. He forced his way through the first and second lines of 
the enemy's works ; but the bridge over Brook Creek having been destroyed, 
and not being reinforced as he expected, he did not attempt the third, but 
ni jved off toward the Chickahominy, destroying a large amount of tho 
enemy's property, and returned again in safety to the Union lines, having 
again passed entirley around Lee's army. 

He was afterward appointed to command a cavalry division in Sherman's 
army, and was with that General in his triumphant march through Georgia, 
and until the surrender or Johnston. At the close of this campaign, he v/as 
breveted Major-General of Volunteers ; and, at tlic end of the war, was 
appointed Minister to Cliili. He returned on leave of absence in October, 
1808, and took an active part in the Presidential canvass for Grant and Col- 
ia.T, when he infused into his political campa'gn much of the spirit and 
energy M'hich characterized his military operations. 



241. E.OBERT C. SCHENCK. 

PtonKRT C. ScHKXcK was born iu Franklin, Warren County. Ohio, Octo- 
ber 4, 1sj9. Receiving a liberal acadeia.cal education, he eateed Miami 
Uaivers.ly, and graduited in 1827. lie remainfd in thus insti uti« n as 
tuior for one or two years afterwards, whea Le commenced the study of the 
law and was adaiitud to the bar in 1831. Settling in Dajtua, Ohio, he 
entered upon the practice of his profession, ia which he became emiueuily 
distinguished and successful. 

Ha commenced his political career in the exciting Presidential cam- 
paign of 1841), which elected General Harrison for President of the Uni ed 
States, and Mr. Schenck as Representative to the Ohio Leg slature. Serving 
with satisfaction to his constituents he was re-elected in 1812. 

The ability displayed ia the State Legislature caused his nomination 
and election as Represent-»t!ve to Congress in 1813. Hi-s peculiar fitness fur 
this position, and his fidelity to his constituents, made him mure popular 
than ever, and he was re-elected to the three successive Congresses, daring 
which he served on many Committees, and during the 'ihiriieth Congress 
serve 1 as Chairman of the Committee on Roads and Canals. 

On his retirement f om Congre.-s he was appointed by President Fllli- 
more. Minister to Braz I. find during his residence in South America he took 
part in negotiating a number of tre<ities. 

On his return to the United States in 1853, he becnme extensively 
engaged ia the Railway basins ss in which he continued until the breaking 
out of ihe Rebellion in 18G1, when he offered his services to the Governmenc 
and was commissioned Brigadier-Gineral of Volumeers in the Union Army, 
serving during the Campaign of 18G1 under McDowell. 

Being ordered to dislodge a force of the enemy at Vienna a few miles from 
\Vashi[i2:ton. he took tlie 1st Ohio Volunteers and on th« 17th ot June, pro- 
ceeded by the Alexandria Railroad, cautious y towards that i)lace. Oa 
turning a curve in a deep cut, he was surprised by a volley of shot and 
shell fioin a battery. Leaving the cars with his Regiment he retreated 
under cover of the woods, until meeting reinforcements, when he returned 
and dislodged the enemy. 

lie continued to serve during the Campaign of that year, and was pro- 
moted to j\I:ijor-General of Voluatee;s. but being elected ia 18G2 to t!ie 
Thirty -eighth Congress, he resigned hi ; commission and t<Hik his seat ia that 
body, serving as Chairman of tlie Commifee on Military Affairs. Re-elected 
to the Thirty-ninth and Fortieth Congresses, he continued to serve as 
Chairman of the same Committee, distinguishing himself for eminent ability, 
sound statesmanship and patriotic energy. 

Mr. ."^chenck particularly exerted himself to establish the National Mill 
tary and Naval Asylum for the benefit of Disabled Soldiers and Seamen of 
the Army and Navy of the United Spates. 

In 18G8 he was again a candidate for Congress, his opponent being Mr. 
Clement C. Vallandigham. A spirited contest ensued and Mr. Schenck was 
elected to the Fortj^-First Co::sies3. ' 



^if^ 



242. WILLIAM 0. BEYANT. 

"N^iLLiAM CULLEN BiiYA^'T was bom at Cummington, Hampslilre 
County, Massachusetts, November 3, 1794. His father, who was a physician, 
observed the manifestations of young Bryant's genius as soon as he could 
read, and encouraged and trained it. 

At nine years of age he wi'ote verses that were quite respectable ; and, at 
ten, his poetry was given to the world through the newspapers of his 
neighborhood. At thirteen he published a political satire called the " Em- 
bargo," which gained for him some applause, and soon passed into the 
second edition. 

Ho was not quite sixteen when he entered "Williams College in advance. 
Here he made rapid proficiency ; and, after remaining less than two years, 
he asked and obtained an honorable dismissal, that be might pursue the 
study of the law. 

In 1815, he was admitted to the bar, and opened an office at Plainfield, and 
the year following at Great Barrington, where, for ten years, he followed the tor- 
tuous course of legal practice, but at last gave it up for the more genial profession 
of literature. 

When he was nineteen, and while yet studying law, he published his 
•' Thanatopsis,'' " Entrance to the "^Voods," and several other pieces, in the 
North American Review. 

These publications brought the author into notoriety at once, and he 
was requested to deliver the poems before the Phi- Beta-Kappa Society of 
Harvard University. He removed to G-reat Barrington, where he married 
a young lady of that place in 1821, and, the same year, uublished the volume 
entitled, " The Ages, and Other Poems." 

In 1825 he removed to New York, and became one of the editors of the 
Neio York Review. He published, in 1827, several poems and tales, which 
quickly became popular. From this point he went on successfully, writing 
in the chief periodical publications in connection with some of the leading 
American authors of his day. He then became one of the editors of The 
(New York) Evening Pont, and his sweet voice, which, of yore, waked the 
echoes of the still evening and the green hills, began to grow hoarse with 
the harsh e])ithets of the political arena. 

In 18o4-'o5, and also in 1845, Mr. Bryant traveled in Europe, writing 
descriptions of what he saw for his journal in America. He again visited 
Europe in 1849, and, on his return, published his " Letters of a Traveler," 
being a resume of his tours in Europe and this country. He made three subse- 
quent visits to Europe, and published two other volumes of letters relating to his 
travels. He has gained a high reputation by his poems ; and his political writings 
ill favor of free trade and free discussion, and against monopolies of all kinds, are 
marked with clearness and vigor. 

He has labored earnestly to diffuse a taste for the fine arts in this 
country, and was President of the Apollo Association prior to its incorpor- 
ation as tiie American Ait Union. He has lately translated the Iliad of Homer 
into blank verse; the vei-^ion lias been published in Boston. 

Mr. Bryant, in his *' Thanatop.sis," has touched the chords of the human 
heart, making thorn vibrate to the innermost of man's being, and stirring up 
a consciousness of immortality within him, to which he was a stranger until 
that deep, solemn, and heavenly music was drawn from the " wondrous 
harp" of his existence by the magic wand of the poet. 



243. SAMUEL P. HEINTZELMAN 

General S. P. Heintzelman was born at Manlieim, Lancaster County, 
Pennsylvania, in 1800. He graduated at AVest Point in 1826, as Brevet 
Second Lieutenant. 

He became Captain, in 1833; Assistant Commissary, in 183G; and Assistant 
Quartermaster, in 1838. As Captain, he served in the Quartermaster's De- 
partment in Florida during the Creek War. In 18-16 he was ordered to 
Mexico as Captain in his old regiment, the Second Infantry. Having 
acquitted himself with distinction at Huamantla, he was breveted Major 
in 1847. 

In 1848 he was ordered to California, and assigned to the command of the 
southern disti'ict of that State,where, for nearly three years, he acted against 
the hostile Indians of that country. 

From the close of 1851 to 1855, most or all of Heintzelman's time was 
passed, at the most distant of all the army posts, at the confluence of the Gila 
and Colorado Rivers; but in 1855, he returned" East as Superintendent of the 
Western Recruitinix Service at Newport, Ky., where he remained until 1857, when 
he was ordered to join liis regiment, which was then serviniz; in Texas under Gene- 
ral Twiggs, where he distinguished himself in an action apjuinst Cortinas, a Mexi- 
can, who was ravaging the country about the Rio Grande, for which brilliant affair 
General Scott asked for him a brevet. 

The treachery of General Twiggs surrendered the army in Texas on 
the 18th of February, 1861, to the E,ebels, and the officers and men were 
paroled. Heintzelman escaped by having taken 'advantage of the arrival 
of his Lieutenant-Colonel to procure leave of absence, and arrived in Wash- 
ington in the spring of 1861. During all the portentous and despairing 
months that signalized the opening of the new administration, his acknowl- 
edged military ability and sterling loyalty ra.ade him. the confidential 
adviser of many officers at Washington. 

In April he was stationed, for a short time, at Governor's Island, Ne .v 
York harbor. A day or two after he occupied Arlington Heights, he received a 
commission as Colonel of the Seventeenth United States Infantry, and was assign- 
ed to the command of the forces at Alexandria. 

At the battle of Bull Kun, on the 21st of July following, he commanded 
the extreme right wing of McDowell's army, and was wounded in the arm 
when leading the Brooklyn Fourteenth in a desperate effort to recover the 
lost fortunes of the field, remaining in the saddle for fifteen hours after, 
rallying his straggling troops in the best order he might, and slowly falling 
back on Alexandria. 

In October, 1861, he was made a Brig-adier-General of Volunteers, and 
assigned to the left wing of the Army of the Potomac. On the 8th of March, 
1862, the army was reorganized, and formed into five corps, and Heintzelman 
took the Third. The history of this corps is a hist >ry of fighting. It was 
the first to land and the first to advance on Yorktown. On the 5th of May, 
Heintzelman fought the fiercely-contested battle of Williamsburg, General 
Sumner, his ranking officer, being but slightly engaged. He was afterward 
prominently engao-ed in all the battles oi the Peninsula; and, on arriving 
at Harrison's Landing, was promoted to Major-Gene ral. 

He was soon after ordered to serve with Pope on the Rappahannock, 
where he again distinguished himself ia many hard-fouglit battles. 
When Banks commenced the organization of the Gulf expedition, Heintzel- 
man succeeded him in command of the defenses of Washington. History 
sometimes brings out and emblazons forever, some whom the laurel of the 
day has never crowned; and ao may she do for Heintzelman, without 
snatching a single leaf from the leaders under whom ho fought. 



^ V 



244. JOHN S. MOSBY. 

Colonel John S. Mosbt was born December 6, 1833, at Edgemont, Powhatan 
County, Virginia. Graduating at the University of Virginia in 1853, with the highest 
honors, lie soon after estahlisiied himself in the practice of the law in Albemarle. 

Marrying, on the oOth of December, 1857, Miss Pauline Clark, the 
daughter of the Hon. Beverly L. Clark, of Kentucky, he settled in Wilming- 
ton County, where lie was in the successful practice of his profession at the 
breaking out of the great Rebellion. Volunteering at once as a private in 
the First Regiment of Virginia Cavalry, he rapidly distinguished himself 
by his reckless boldness and successful exploits as a scout. 

The celebrated cavalry leader, General Stuart, seeing and admiring the 
daring character of Mosby, took him into his confidence. The result of this 
combination is said to be the wonderful tour which General Stuart made 
around the enemy with such great success while on the line of the Chicka- 
hominy. 

Being captured about this time, he was kept a prisoner until after the 
battle of Malvern Hill, when he was exchanged. 

Continuing his services with Stuart, as a scout, until March, 18G3, he 
was commissioned as a Captain, and authorized to raise a company of Par- 
tisan Rangers. 

_ Placed in this independent position, henceforth the name and career of 
Colonel Mosby became famous throughout all the campaign in Virdnia durin«^ 
the War of Rebellion. ^ *= 

What Morgan was as a Partisan Ranger to the Southwest, Mosby was 
to Virginia, Daring, reckless, and bold, 'he was always on the skirts of the 
Union army with his equally daring and reckless young Cavalrymen. 
These embraced some of the hottest and truest blood of the boasted chivalry 
of the Old Dominion, from a great-grandson of President Monroe to the sons 
of ex-Governors and Senators, all serving as privates in Mosby's famous 
cavalry. 

Surprising Federal Generals at night in their beds, when not in their 
camp, making dashing raids into quiet and unsuspecting towns, surprising 
railroad trains, anticipating telegraphic intelligence b}'- cutting the wires, or 
Etopyiing it by the same lueaos, were some of the arts of war which this 
guerrilla chieftain practiced. Vary these with a love-making with the fair 
dames and damsels of Old Virginia, and we have the bold, dashing, and 
dating John Mosby pretty well photographed. 



245. GEORGE D. PRENTICE. 

George D. Pukntick v/as born in Preston, Connecticut, in 1804. lie 
•was ediicited at Brown University in Rhode? Island, where he graduated in 
1823. He afterwards resided in Hant'ord where he was several years 
engaged in editing *' The New Eiigland Weekly Review," and in the year 
18 il her -moved to Louisville, Kentucky. Since that time he has been a 
resident ofthatCity and editorcf tiie celebrated "Loui>ville Journal," with 
which his name tias since become identified and which, in his hands, has l.e- 
come one of the most popular and succes-ful in the country. For many 
years the *• Louisville Journal" was a leading advocate in the West of the 
policy of the Whig p irty, and Mr. Prentice won for him'^elf a high and 
world-wl-de reputation for political ability, and as one of the greatest wits 
and most powerful safiric <1 "writeis in the country. 

In 186i) he sustained the Union, or J3ell and Everett party, and in 1861, 
maintained with great zeal and ability the cause of Union against the 
Secessionists, and was instrumental in connection with Robert J. Breckenridge, 
John J. Crittenden, Lovell H. Rousseau, and James Speed in preventing Kentucky 
from being driven into the vortex, although his two sons, " his only thiMren," 
went to the rebel army. He was not, however, a very zealous supporter of the 
Administration of President Lincoln and the policy of the Republican Congress 
on the Reconstruction of the Seceding States, but followed the lead ef Andrew 
Johi^on, and advocated the unconditional readmiision of all the States and the 
pardon of all the rebels. 

Mr. Prentice particilarly interested himself in procuring the release of 
parties who were confin.-d as prisoners ia Fort L ifayette. but his efforts 
were unsuccessful, and on its destruction by lire in 18G8,he hailed the event 
with undisguised s itisfaction. 

To his other accomplishments Mr. Prentice unites that of being a poet. 
Most of his poetical productions are the work of h s early years, and they 
have never been collected into a volume but may be found in Collections 
of Amer'can Poetrv. A selection, however, was published from newspa- 
per paragraphs, m ^(ew Tork, m 1860, under the title of " Prenticiana." They 
are all of a tdgh order; but his ''Closing Year" and "Lines at my Mother's 
Grave " a^e probably his best. 

As an Editor, his style was especially terse and sharp. He was famous for his 

witty paragraphs, for liis sarcasms, and invectives, which were bitter and merciless. 

He spared no one, and had no con.-^ideration for age, pex, color, race, or kin. 

On the other hand, he was genial and earnest in his laudations, warm and sincere 

in his friendships, and honest and clear in his convictions. 

As a poli'.ician, he declined the highest honor that the State could give him. He 
was always highly respected by the citizens of Louisville, and had troops of friends, 
as well as that which should accompany old age — "honor, love, • nd obedience." 
In person, Mr. Prentice was short but stout, with a round face and well-cut features, 
His right arm was paralyzed ; and he was compelled to emplov an amanuensis. 
He died at the residence of his son, Clarence, near Louisville, in January, 1870. 



).t/A 



246. CASSIUS M. CLAY. 

Cassius M. Clay was born in Madison County, Kentucky, October 0, 
ISIO. He took the degree of A. M. in Yale College, in 18o2. 

In Iboo lie commeiiced his political career by being chosen a Member ol 
the Legislature of Kentucky, and was re-elected in 1836 and 184U. While 
a member of that body he advocated an improved jury system, internal 
improvements, and common schools, all of which were ultimately carried 
into operation. 

In 1839 he was chosen Congressional Delegate to the Whig National 
Convention which nominated W. H. Harrison for the Presidency. 

In 1844 he traversed the Free States, canvassing in behalf of Henry Clay 
for President of the United States, and in opposition to the annexation of 
Texas. 

On the 3d of June, 1845, he commenced, at Lexington, Ky., the weekly 
issue of The IV ue American newspaper, devoted to the overthrow of slavery 
in Kentucky. 

While sick, in August of that year, his press was torn down, and shipped 
to Cincinnati, Ohio, by a mob, and a resolution passed that they would 
assassinate him if he revived it. 

When he recovered from his illness, he immediately revived his paper, 
and fearlessly vindicated the freedom of the press ; and since that time the 
press has been open to the discussion of this issue in that State. 

War having been declared against Mexico, on the 7th of June, 1846, he 
was mustered into the service of the United States, as Captain of the " Old 
Infantry," the oldest company Avest of the Alleghany Mountains, then acting 
as " mounted men." 

They reached Monterey, by land, after its capture. Captain Clay wa.s 
detached from his regiment by General Taylor, and sent to the head of the 
column at Saltillo. 

On the 23d of January, 1847, under the command of G-eneral Gaines, 
Captain Clay was taken prisoner at Incarnation. On the 25th, by great 
coolness and presence of mind, he saved from massacre all the prisoners, for 
which heroic act, on his return home, in 1847, he was presented with an 
elegant sword. 

In 1851 he separated from the Whig -party, in consequence of the " Com- 
promise measures." 

In the summer of 1851 he ran for Governor of Kentucky, in opposition 
to the regular Whig and Democratic nominees, upon the anti-slavery basis. 
He received nearly four thousand votes (twenty thousand not voting), and 
caused the defeat of the Whig nominee for the first time for more than 
twenty years. 

In 185G he was an enthusiastic and zealous advocate of the election of 
John C. Fremont for President ; and, in 1860, in the canvass for Abraham 
Lincoln, he was equally earnest and zealous. 

In 18G1, he was appointed Minister to Russia ; was recalled by Mr. Seward, in 
18P)t>, and made major-general fn the Army ; was reappointed, in 1863, to Russia, 
where he remained till November 5, 1809, when he returned to the United States, 
Wliile in Russia, he rendered efficient service to his country by being instrumen- 
tal in producing amicable feelings between the two countries. 



/ 



247. GEORGE F. TRAIN. 

Geoege Fbancis Teain was bom in Boston, Massachusetts. He 
started in life as a clerk in a store and rose rapidly to be a merchant. 

The activity and energy of his mind, with the roving, enterprising 
spirit, charactei istic of the New England nature, led liim to seek a more 
extensive jfield abroad, and following this impulse, he emigrated to Austra- 
lia where he established a mercantile house. Beturning to America ho 
entered into Street Railway enterpris s, and afterwards, travelled exten- 
sively in Europe, where, in several of the Capitals, he attempted to estab- 
lish the same system, in some of which he was partially successful. From 
i£treet Railways he took an active part in the Pacific Railroad scheme, and 
advocated it with characteristic zeal and energy. Goiug to England in 
18ti8, he became prominently indentifiod with the Fenian movement, and 
from his agitation and known sympathies, was arrested by the British 
authorities and imprisoned in the jail at St. Patrick. Ireland. 

From the prison he issued numerous letters to the press and addresses 
to the Irish people, which tended far more toward establishing *• Irish Na- 
tionality" than had he been allowed to lecture through the country undis- 
turbed by the authorities. 

Released from prison, he returned to the United States, where he is 
lecturing extensively on Fenianism aud other popular topics. Prolific in 
Financial as well as Railroad and political schemes, he was one of the most 
active in founding the Credit ^lobilier of Ameiica. 

^Vithout belonging to any political organization he has, upon several 
occasions offered himself as a candidate for Conjjrcss, but without success. 
Favoring Female Suffrage he made speeches in Kansas on the subject, in 
lbG7, and aided in establishing the " Revolution." a weekly paper, 
especially intended to disseminate information which will bring v>oman on 
a political equality with man, edited and conducted with eminent ability 
by Mrs. .-tanton. Miss Anthony and Parker Pillsbnry. 

In 18(i0 Mr. Train had a public controversy at the Cooper Institute, 
New Yoik. with Cassius M. Clay, our distinguished Minister to the Court 
of St. Petersburg, on the questions that wero then agitating the public 
mind. 

With the indomitable " American spirit" of not to be put down, im- 
posed upon or defeated, ho has brought suits for damages against the 
Enghsh Government for false imprisonment and threatened the people of 
the Hnitcd States with being their President before ho dies. Bold, ardent, 
fluent in speech, and prolific in resources, practical and chimerical. George 
Francia Train i.i a mixed typo of tho New England mind in its more activo 
and turbulent stato. With a constant ebullition of feeling, sympathising 
with every popular movement, he becomes the leader and spokes- 
man of more timid and less audacious people entertaining the same views. 

By natuil3 impulsive, hd is by necessity a "Representative Man," atid 
possesses much more ^f thu '' pbp'uliar" than mttuy Others "who prOfeE^ tb 
reprb^cJnt thut Dhttntcttet. 



248. ANDREW G. CURTIN. 

Andrew Gregg Curtin, formerly Governor of Pennsylvania, was 
born iu Bellefonte, Centre County, Pennsylvania, April 22, 1817. A pupil 
of the celebrated law school of the Honorable John iieed, Professor of Law 
in Dickinson's L'olic-ge, he was admitted to the bar iu 1839. and immedia:ely 
commenced praciice at Lellefonte. Taking an active part in politics ho 
canvassed the State for Henry Clay, in lb-11, and for General Taylor in 
1848. Appointed by Governor Pollock in 18.')3, Secretary of State and 
Superintendent of Public L-chools iu Pennsylvania, he brought to the 
duties of both ofdces an ability which found new channels of exeroise in 
subsequent jiositionsof public responsibility and trust. His term of office 
closing in 1838, ho returned to the practice of his profession at Bellefonte. 

Nominated for Governor of Pennsylvania in 18G0, by the llepublican 
party, after an exciting canvass in which he personally took an active 
part'by canvassing the entire State, he was triumphantly elected by the 
overwhelming majoritj'' of thirty-three thousand votes over his popular 
competitor General Foster, who held the odds against Governor Cur i in by 
uniting the combined Bui)port of the Bell, Breckenridge aud Douglass 
parties. The outbreak of the civil war in 1861, found Governor Curtin at 
the head of affairs in Pennsylvania, in which responsible position he de- 
voted himself with great zeal and energy in eqmj^ping troops for the sup- 
port of the Government and the speedy overthrow of the rebellion. In 
May, 18G1, he addressed a message to the Legislature, at its Special Ses- 
sion, in which ho urged the establishment of a reserve corps, which sub- 
sequently rendered important service to the countrj'. 

Tlie invasion of Pennsylvania by General Lee and his Confederate 
armies, being regarded as the turning point iu the great rebellion, Gov. 
Curtin achieved great reputation for the energy and ability he displayed in 
his position as Commander-in-Chief of the forces of Pennsylvania, by 
virtue of his office as Governor of the State, in arousing his fellow citizens 
to action and resistance to the invaders. 

The result of that memorable battle in favor of the Union forces, must 
ever make the State of Pennsylvania, as one of the great border States, 
pre-eminent, standing as a bulwark against the surging tides of rebellion, 
and render its patriotic Governor, for the patriotic stand he took during 
this trying period, eminently distinguished and historical. Fortunately 
placed at the head of the State at this eventful time, he hacLthe equal good 
fortune to see, partially, through his own patriotic zeal and exertions, the 
State Kaved as well as the Union, while other border States were suffering 
all lUo terrors of a desperate civil war, their Governors and Councils in 
(iiany inr.tanecs, at the mercy of conflicting parties.it was the good fortune 
«>f Peunpylvania to meet this shock of contending forces witli intrepidity 
rtnd victory, and the distinguished merit of Governor Aiidrew Curtin t<j 
bu tfiuul to tlie pOBitiou whioU he held aad honored,. 



249. EDWIX D. MORGAX. 

Edwin Den.visojt Morgan was born in Washington, Berkshire County, Mass., 
on the 8th of February, 1811. At an early age he eoinnienced commercial pur- 
suits in the town of Hartford, Ct., and when but twenty years of age, lie was 
taken into copartnership in the house where he commenced as a clerk. Remov- 
ing to the city of New York in 1836, he extended his commercial enterprises, and 
with that sagacity and foresight which has so eminently distinguished lii-n, lie met 
with great success. Identifying himself with the Whig party upon coming to the 
city of New Yoik, he became a prominent leader of tlie Republican organization 
upon its consolidation with that party. 

l^iected to the State Senate iu 1849, Mr. Morgan continued a member 
of thai body for four ye.irs, Uming wtiich time he introduced and cariied through 
the Lesi.slature tlie bill establishing the Central Park of New York. On the 22d 
of February, 1856, he wus one of the Vice-Presidents of the National Conven- 
tion held at Pittsburg. Elected Chairman of the National Committee, he held 
that position for several years, consolidating the strength of the Republican party 
and commanding the support of its leaders. 

Elected in the year 1858 Governor of the State of New York, he was 
inanguraled on the 1st of January, 1859. Ee-elected to the Gi-ibernatorial 
office in ISiiO, he was fortunate in being the only Governor succeeding for 
a second term for twenty years previously ; while his ti iumph with the elec- 
tion of Abraham Lincoln to the Presidency, made it moie historically 
memorable. Entering upon his second term on the ve:y eve of ihe 
Kebellion,he conducted the affairs of the State in a manner wiilcli mastered 
the situation, and by his judicious administration averted much of the blood- 
shed which otherwise would have been occasioned by conflicts of authority 
and opinion. 

While zealously engaged in his Gubernatorial office, Governor Morgan 
was active in extending all the support of his ctScial position to the Na- 
tional Government in aiding in the suppression of the Eebellion. With his 
acc'u-tomed zeal and activity,less than sixteen months found Lim with one 
hundred and twenty thousar d men equipped for the field. Among the 
other triumphs of h s administration of the Chief Magistracy of the State, 
was the reduction of the State debts and the increase ot the revenues of (he 
canals. Courageous and iionest in the exen ise of his authoiity, he never 
swerved from using h's veto power whenever it was attempted to be over- 
awed by fraud or guardpd the public int* rest. 

Commissioned a M jor-General of Volunteers. September 20, ISfil, 
Governor Morgan wis placed in command of the Military Departn.ent of 
New York, With disinterested public spirit he refused to receive any pay 
for this service. 

In 18G3 Governor Mor^ran was elected to the United States Senate from 
the State of New York, and during his Senatorial period, as through his 
Gubernatorial and Military career, he has been disiinguisbed for ability, 
public spirit and patriotism. 



250. FREDERICK DOUGLASS. 

Frederick Douglass was born a slave on a Maryland plantation. His father 
was pj-obably a white man, whom he never knew; his mother was a slave, whom 
he never saw but five times, because she was employed upon a plantation twelve 
miles away, and died wlien he was quite young. When he was ten yejirs old, he 
was sent to Baltimore to be a family servant, where, /or a time, his new mistress 
treated him with the tenderness of a mother, and tauglit him to read ; and bting 
proud of his progress, exultingly told her husband, v ho, amazed at her simplicity, 
told her the dangers of her undertaking, and promptly forbade her continuing it, 
assuring lier it was unlawful. But the desire for learning, onte awakened, could 
not be subdued. 

Douglass persisted, by the most ingenious artifices, to grope bis way to know- 
ledge, and speedily became deeply imbued with the ideas that expanded his mind, 
becoming, however, taciturn and morose as he reflected on the degiaded condition 
of his existence. 

He now became difficult to manage, and matured a plan of escape. He had 
learned to write, and was at last allowed by his master to work on his own ac- 
count, paying his owner one half his earnings. He was a ciuilker in a shipyard, 
and succeeded, by his acquaintance among vessels, in finding his way to NewBed- 
ford, Mass. Here, accompanied by his wife, who had followed him irom Maryland, 
he enjoyed the privilege of being his own master, and, for reasons of safety, speedi- 
ly abandoned his old name, assuming that of a character which had inspired him 
while reading Sir Walter Scott's beautiful poem, 77ie Lady of the Lake. He soon 
subscribed for the Liberator^ and was introduced to Mr. Garrison. From this 
time his course was upward. 

The talents he exhibited in recounting his experience as a slave induced the 
Anti^Slavery Society to offer him the position of an agent. He visited Englai d. 
Tiie interest excited in him there was so great that several English friends united 
and paid the sum of one hundred and fifty pounds sterling for the purchase of his 
liberty ; while others raised him a fund of several thousand dollars to enable him 
to fit up a printing-office in Rochester, N. Y. Here he established and conducted 
a paper during f-ixteen years, and gave it up when slavery was abolished. 

Since then his course has been well known, more through the ceaseless revil- 
ings of the enemies of American freedom than his own writings ; w hile, as an 
orator, he has acquired a reputation of acknowledged eminence. Two of his sons 
fbujiht bravely in the war for liberty ; and Frederick Douglass has made his name 
to be honorable. His career, as freeman, began in 1838, and he now edits the 
New Nalio7uil Fra, at Washington, D. C, a weekly journal recently established. 



INDEX. 



PAGE 

211 Adams, Charles F. — 
2 Ad:iins, John. »..^> 
6 Adams, John Q. — 
84 Adams, Samuel. -- 

144 Allaton, Washington. -*• 
35 Ames, Fisher. — 

151 Anderson, Gen. Robert. — 

132 Andrew, Jolin A. — 
93 Appleton, Samuel. *- 
98 Athertoti, Charles G. ^ 
61 Bainbridge, Com. W. «. 

110 Baker, Gen. E. D. _ 

135 Ballon, Rev. Hosea. — 
178 Bancroft, George. -* 
235 Banks, Nathaniel P. - 
209 Barnum, P. T. -- 

175 Bates, Edward. — 

188 Beauregard, Gen. P. G. T. - 

176 Beecher, Henry Ward. — 

136 Beecher, Rev. Lyman. — 
196 Benjamin J. P. — 
208 Bennett, James G. - 

86 Benton, Thomas H. — 
122 Berry, Gen. Hiram G. — 

69 Black Hawk. 
234 Blair, Gen. Francis P., Jr. - 
2tj7 Blair, Montgomery. — 

95 Boone, Daniel. — 
220 Brady, James T. 
170 Breckeniidge, J. C. - 
157 Broderick, David C. "~ 
130 Brooks, Preston S. -- 
126 Blown, John. -- 
190 Brownlow, Parson. — 
242 Bryant, William C. — 

15 Buchanan, James. " 
185 Burnside, Geu. A. E. - 

68 Burr, Aaron. -^ 



-r> 



PAGE 

171 Butler, Benjamin F. 
141 Butrick, Col. J. — 

76 Calhoun, John C. ■*• 
155 Cameron, Simon. — 
39 Carroll, Charles. ~ 
97 Cass, Lewis. — 
134 Channing, Rev. W. H - 

172 Chase, Salmon P. 
92 Choate, Rufus. « 

58 Claxton, Com. A. — 
246 Clay, Cassias M. — 

78 Clav, Henry. - 

91 Clinton, De Witt. -* 
197 Cobb, Howell. 
199 Coltax, Schuyler. ■— 

19 Columbus, Christopher. 
138 Cooper, J. Fenimore. 
179 Cooper, Peter. ~ 

SO Corwin, Thomas. ■ 
101 Crittenden, John J. - 

89 Crockett, David. - 
248 Curtin, Andrew G. -- 

148 Davis, Henry Wmter. — 
167 Davis, Jefferson. — 

99 Davis, John. ^ 

59 Decatur, Com. Stephen. 
94 Dickinson, Daniel S. -~ 

149 Dix, John A. -- 
250 Douglass, Frederick. — 

82 Douglas, Stephen A. "^ 
231 Dupont, Com. S. F. - 
118 Ellsworth, Col. E. E. ■• 
159 Evans, George. — 
100 Everett, Edward. — 
186 Ewell, Gen. R. S. — 
129 Farragut, Admiral D. G 
203 Fen ton, Reuben E. 
216 Feasenden, William P. , 



PAGE 

13 Fillmore, Millnrtl. 
Ill Foote, Admiral A. H. - 

79 Foote, Solomon. ^ 
210 Fornev, John W. - 
232 Forrest, Gen. N. B. ^ 

25 Franklin, Benjamin. 
224 Fremont, John C. 

45 Fulton, Robert. 

07 Gaines, Gen. E. P. - 
212 Garrison, W. Lloyd. - 
' 87 Giddii.gs, Joshua R. ~- 

56 Gern-, Elbridge. — 

83 Granger, Fiaiicis. *- 
18 Giant, Gen. U. S. c- 

166 Greeley, Horace. - 

57 Green, Mnjor-Gen. ~ 
219 Halpine, Charles G. ^ 

24 Hamilton, Alexaiider. — 

206 Hamlin, Hannibal. ~ 

200 Hampton, Wade. .. 

31 Hancock, John. -^ 
233 Hardee, Gen. W. J. - 

9 Harrison, William H. - • 

85 Hayne, Robert Y. 

243 Heinizelman, Gen. S. P. 

120 Hill, Gen. A. P. 

30 Henrv, Patri. k. — 

213 Hoffman, John T. - 

184 Holt, Joseph. 

239 Hood, Gen. John B. - 

189 Hooker, Gen. Joseph. - 

44 Hopkins, F. 

84 Houston, Samuel. 

181 Howard, Gen. 0. 0. - 

21 Hudson, Hendrick. ~ 

140 Hudson, John. - 

127 Hu-hes, Archbishop J. - 

62 Hull, Com. Isaac. 

123 Hunter, Gen. David. - 

217 Hunter, R. M. T. 

145 Irving, Washington. -- 

7 Jackson, Andrew. 

109 Jackson, Stonewall. . 

32 Jay, John. 

3 JclVcrson, Thomas. — 
17 Johnson, Andrew. 
226 Johnst"n, Gen. Joseph E. 
180 Johnson, Herschel V. 
174 Johnson, Reverdv. -» 



PAGE 

102 Johnston, Gen. A. S. — 

60 Jones, Com. Paul. 
119 Kearnov, Gen. Philip. _ 

73 Keokuk. - 

49 Kent, Chancellor J. — 
240 Kilpatrick, Gen. J. - 

90 King, William R. <, 
27 Knox, Gen. Henry. — 

40 Kosciusko, Thaddeus. - 
33 Lafayette. >. 

1J6 Latie, Gen. James H. ~ 
64 Lawrence, Capt. J. ~ 
165 Lee, Gen. Robert E. - 
43 Lee, Richard H. 
16 Lincoln, Abraham. _ 
38 Lincoln, Benjamin. — 
227 Logan, John A. - 
183 Longstreet, Gen. J. - 
128 Lovejoy, Owen. ^ 

112 Lyon, Gen. Nathaniel. — 
4 Madison, James. — 

88 Marcy, William L. »* 
56 Marion, Gen. Francis. — 

50 Marshall, Chief-Justice J. • 
173 Mason, James M. -^ 
162 Maurv, Professor M. F. - 
223 McCIellan, George B. - 

113 McPherson, Gen. J. B. *- 
187 Meade, Gen. George G. — 

114 Meagher, Gen. T. F. — 

41 Middleton, Arthur. — 

115 Mitchel, Gen. 0. M. — 
6 Monroe, James. ■- 

55 Montgomery, Gen. R. — 
249 Morgan, E. D. - 

150 Morton, Oliver P. — 
142 Morris, George P. 
244 Mosby, Col. John. 
52 Moultrie, Gen. William. "• 
70 Osceola. * 

125 Parker, Theodore. - 
205 Pendleton. George H. — 
28 Penn, William. - 

63 Perry, Com. Oliver H. — 
202 Phillips, Wenrtell. 

42 Pickering, Timothy. — 
14 Pierce, Franklin. 

139 Pierpont, John. -^ 
46 Pinknev, William. -^ 



PAGE 

1 1 Polk, James K. — 
198 Pomeroy, Samuel C. — 

152 Pope, Gen, John. ■— 
137 Porter, Com. W. D. — 
245 Prentice, George D. 

74 Prophet, Indian. — 
228 Pryor, Roger A. — 

26 Putnam, Gen. Israel. -- 

204 Ramsey, Alexander. «. 

65 Randolph, John. — 

221 Raymond, Henry J. — 

72 Red Jacket. ' *- 

106 Reno, Gen. Jesse L. *- 
29 Rush, Benjamin. — 

241 Schenck, Robert C. _ 

68 Schoolcraft, H. R. - 

108 Scott, Gen. Winfield. — 

216 Schurz, Carl. - 

103 Sedgwick, Gen. John. — 

191 Seward, William H. _ 
237 Seymour, Horatio. — 

153 Sheridan, Gen. P. H. - 

225 Sherman, Gen. William T. ~ 

154 Sickles, Gen. Daniel E. ^ 
218 Siegel, Gen. Franz. — 

160 Slidell, John. - 

75 Smith, John. «. 

168 Soule, Pierre. — * 

195 Stanton, Edwin M. *- 

54 Stark, Gen. John. — 

192 Stephens, Alexander II. — 

193 Stephens, Thaddcus. — 
51 Story, Joseph. 

230 Stringham, Com. S. II. - 
121 Stuart, Gen. J. E. B. «- 
23 Stuyvesant, Pctrus. - 

161 Sumner, Charles. ^ 

107 Sumuer, Gen. E. V. ^ 



PAGE 

81 Taney, Roger B. — 

229 Taylor, Gen. Richard. - 

12 Taylor, Zachary. - 

71 Tecuraseh. -^ 

236 Thomas, Gen. George H. 

163 Toombs, Robert. -^ 
158 Toucey, Isaac. -, 
247 Train, George Francis. 

146 Trumbull, Lyman. — 
10 Tvler, John. - 

177 Vallandigham, C. L. — 
131 Vanderbilt, Cornelius. — 

20 Vespucius, Araericus. 
133 Van Buren, John. ^ 
8 Van Buren, Martin. — 
169 Wade, Benjamin F. «. 
105 Wads worth. Gen. J. S. - 
222 Walbridge, Hiram. - 
156 Ward, Marcus L. - 

37 Warren, Gen. Joseph. • 
1 Washington, George. ^ 

53 Wayne, Anthonv. — 

77 Webster, Daniel - 

147 Webster, Fletcher. ^ 
194 Weed, Thurlow. _ 
214 Welles, Gideon. — 

47 West, I3enjamin. 

182 Wilkes, George. - 
143 Willis, Nathaniel P. - 

164 ^Vilson, Henry. - 
22 Winslow, Josiah. — 

48 Wirt, William. 

201 Wise, Henry A. - 
238 Wood, Fernando. 
104 Worth, Gen. W. J. - 
96 Wright, Silas. - 

124 Yancev, William L. -- 
117 ZolUcoffer, Gen. F. K, _ 



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